Press Release | 07 June 2024

The Department of Health (DOH), together with the Philippine National AIDS Council (PNAC), Center for Disease Control (CDC) in the Philippines program under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), LoveYourself Inc, USAID – HIV Epidemic Control (EpIC) Project, and the American International Health Alliance (AIHA), joined hands on a five-day workshop for health professionals, partner stakeholders, and key populations on June 3-7, 2024 in Pasay City. Among the key officials from the participating agencies are Health Promotion Bureau’s Director Lorra Angelia DC. Sayson, PNAC’s Executive Director Dr Joselito Feliciano III, and U.S. CDC Philippines Country Director Dr. Rommel Lacson.

The workshop highlights the concept of the Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U) campaign to spread awareness about the effectiveness of medications for Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). U = U symbolizes that People Living with HIV (PLHIV) who maintain an undetectable level of the virus in their blood through treatment cannot sexually transmit to others. This campaign is a crucial strategy for stemming the spread of the virus to achieve the 95-95-95 global targets for HIV – 95% of PLHIV know their status; 95% of people who know their status receive treatment; and 95% of people receiving treatment have virally suppressed load.

Despite the global trend of declining HIV incidence and AIDS-related deaths, the daily incidence was four times higher compared to the recorded HIV/AIDS and ART registry of the Philippines (HARP) from 2012 to 2023. In response to this, policies, campaigns, expanded HIV testing, facilities, and treatment have been implemented to address this epidemic, including the DOH’s dissemination and adoption of the U=U campaign as part of scaling the health promotion efforts through the issuance of Department Circular No. 2024-0181.

An overview of the current HIV/AIDS program status in the Philippines was also discussed in the workshop and served as the basis for message development, and communication strategies and interventions. This workshop equips stakeholders to empower key populations and vulnerable groups with the knowledge and tools to effectively communicate the U=U message and advocate for increased access to HIV treatment and care. Aside from the push for aggressive demand generation activities on U=U, HIV, and AIDS, ensuring that the services are available in the community is also important, as espoused in the 8-Point Action Agenda of the DOH.

“Undetectable HIV is Untransmittable HIV. U=U. Let us fight the stigma associated with HIV so that more people living with the condition may start treatment that will enable them to live happy and healthy lives sa Bagong Pilipinas, kung saan Bawat Buhay Mahalaga,” expressed Health Secretary Teodoro J. Herbosa.