Is Duterte’s war on drugs fuelling an HIV epidemic in the Philippines?
As Rosita leaves Jose’s small office in downtown Cebu in the central Philippines, he passes her a handful of biscuits and six clean needles. What Jose has just done could land him in jail.
Rosita is a pregnant, HIV-infected injecting drug user – and Jose is a social worker. Amidst Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs – in which nearly 3,000 people have been killed, according to police – it is safer to be anonymous. Neither wants to give their real name.
Clean needles have been distributed in Cebu City for years, sometimes illegally, in order to prevent the spread of HIV. Under the new government, which took office at the end of June, pressure is increasing for such clandestine activities to stop.
HIV cases have sharply increased from maybe one new infection a day back in 2007 to what we have now which is more than 24 new cases a day
The Philippines has one of the fastest growing HIV/Aids epidemics in the world, according to the United Nations.
“HIV cases have sharply increased from maybe one new infection a day back in 2007 to what we have now which is more than 24 new cases a day,” said Teresita Bagasao, country manager for UNAids in the Philippines. The latest Department of Health figures showed there were 841 newly diagnosed HIV cases in the Philippines in June – the biggest monthly total since records began in 1984 and higher than the annual total for 2009.
Most new cases were from sexual contact, particularly among men who have sex with men (MSM), according to the government’s figures, but in Cebu it is sharing dirty needles that is the driver.
Rosita, a former sex worker, explained: “Sometimes my friends don’t have needles so we share.”