Monday, July 19, 2004 12 barangays in city named pilot areas for Aids councils
TWO Cebu City barangays last week separately submitted a similar ordinance seeking to create a Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD), Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus /Acute Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/Aids) councils in their areas.
Ten more barangays are expected to follow suit after non-government organization Free Legal Assistance Volunteers Association adopted all 12 barangays as pilot sites for the program.
The ordinances of Barangays Carreta and Duljo-Fatima were referred to the committee on laws during last week’s council session.
Duljo-Fatima barangay treasurer Jannet Imbong was one of the representatives from the 12 barangays who underwent a seminar on prevention and detection of STD and HIV/Aids last month.
Imbong said Free Lava wanted to create a body in each of the barangays to help answer the need of those inflicted with the disease and to brief advocates how to do it.
The participants were asked to share the seminar materials with the rest of the barangay council members.
According to the proposed ordinance, addressing the problem of HIV/Aids and STD needs “strong state action” because it “recognizes no territorial, social, political, and economic boundaries.”
The STD-HIV/Aids council will be responsible for education and information activities on reproductive health even in sitios and especially to high-risk individuals.
Aside from barangay officials, the council will be composed of social workers, doctors, midwives and health representatives.
Meetings will be held at least every Tuesday of the month or whenever the barangay captain, serving as council chairperson, deems it necessary.
Funding, however, is shaky, with Section 9 stipulating it shall come “from the contribution and donations from concerned individuals and agencies.”
The committee on laws still has to comment and make recommendations on the ordinance. RHM
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