Adoption of HIV Policy Act seen

THE City Council committee on laws and rules chaired by Councilor Ian Mark Nacaya is reviewing the proposal to adopt R.A. 11166, which strengthens the Philippine comprehensive policy on Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). The said law reconstitutes the Philippine National AIDS Council (PNAC), mandates the creation of rights-based and community-led behavior modification programs and establishment and enforcement of rights-based mechanism to strongly encourage newly-tested HIV-positive individuals to conduct partner notification and to promote HIV status disclosure to partners.

It also provides that the PNAC shall ensure the operationalization and implementation of the AIDS Medium Term Plan (AMTP), among others.

The legislation was endorsed by the committee on health chaired by Councilor Maria Lourdes S. Gaane. (SP)