>Department of Health elevates HIV/AIDS status to epidemic

>After the alarming increase of HIV/AIDS cases that reaches almost 4,400 reported infected patients and the possible 30,000 total cases by 2010. The Department of Health declares epidemic status to HIV/AIDS in the Philippines. When you say epidemic it a condition that it is affecting or tending to affect a large percent of the population, community, or region at the same time which right now HIV/AIDS is no longer involving sex workers alone instead new cases involves migrants, professionals and even the youth. With the campaign of DOH that is distribution and usage of condoms among professionals and youth, the Catholic Church opposes this idea they say that with this campaign it promotes premarital sex and extramarital sex in the society. According to them the DOH must strengthen the campaign for information dissemination and teach the society prevention from people involving premarital sex and extramarital sex and get infected with the virus. DOH answers back that in the issue of morality it is the responsibility of the Church to educate their followers on that aspect and they only doing what is mandated to them by the government.