MAKATI CITY, 23 May 2005 --- The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) will procure US$186,000 worth of antiretroviral medicines (ARVs) for the Department of Health this year.

This is the first procurement of ARVs by DOH after Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit signed a Memorandum of Agreement with UNICEF that covers five years. The agreement will enable the Philippine government to obtain ARVs at much lower prices than currently available in the market.

“Every person living with AIDS has the right to have access to proper treatment and care,” Colin Davis, Officer-in-Charge of UNICEF Philippines, said. “But the high cost of ARVs in the country limits access to the very few who can afford it.”

The average cost of ARVs in the Philippines for one person living with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is about $550 per month.

Due to the high cost, the government was previously unable to provide ARVs to persons living with AIDS. To date, 681 AIDS cases have been recorded in the country, of whom 415 are still living.

ARVs have been shown to significantly reduce the number of illnesses and deaths due to AIDS.

The agreement enables DOH to procure ARVs through UNICEF’s global procurement service, ensuring access to high-quality medicines at the lowest prices in the world market. DOH will pay for the medicines in Philippine pesos.

Through the Sixth Country Programme for Children (CPC 6) covering 2005 until 2009, UNICEF has committed up to $3 million for the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, particularly among children, young people, and women.

The UNICEF-supported HIV/AIDS project provides information, skills and services for young people to be able to protect themselves from HIV infections, with special focus on young people most vulnerable and at risk. It also deals with the emerging issue of care, support and treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS. The project is being implemented by national government agencies, local government units, NGOs and other partners in the country.

This year alone, UNICEF and other United Nations agencies in the Philippines is providing $1.3 million to support the Philippine national response to HIV/AIDS. This is part of an integrated programme of the UN aimed to help the country achieve the Millennium Development Goal of halting and reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015.
UN-supported strategies include: reducing the vulnerabilities and risks of vulnerable populations; improving the quality of care, support and treatment programmes for people living with HIV and AIDS; reducing HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination; and, improving the management systems of HIV/AIDS programmes.

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For further information or to arrange interviews, please contact:

Dale Rutstein
UNICEF Manila, 901 0177 or 0917 866 4969, drutstein@unicef.org
Alexis Rodrigo
UNICEF Manila, 901 0173 or 0917 858 9447, arodrigo@unicef.org