THE Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Health (DOH) have joined hands to address the spike in HIV cases among the youth and vital health issues affecting them.
DOH data from January to March this year showed that Filipinos aged 15 to 24 now account for 30 percent of 57 new daily HIV infections in the country.
The DOH earlier proposed declaring HIV a national public health emergency after its study showed a 500 percent hike in the number of HIV cases among the youth.
DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said the department is working closely with the DOH to come up with an aligned curriculum in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to enhance cooperation among government agencies for the health and welfare of learners.
“Education is a priority of the President and he has instructed all agencies to work together so that when classes open, the health of our children and the teachers are being taken care of by the government,” Angara told reporters during a joint field assessment with Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa of several schools in Quezon City.
“We aligned the curriculum because our findings showed a growing number of HIV infections among the youth,” Herbosa added.
Aside from incorporating in the curriculum lessons and information to raise awareness about the scourge of HIV, the aligned curriculum, according to Herbosa, will also integrate discussions on mental health, unplanned pregnancy, road safety, and nutrition.
Meanwhile, the DepEd, DOH and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) launched a program yesterday to bring essential health care services to public schools.
The new initiative, called the Clinics for Learners’ Access to School-health Services Plus (Class+), was formally launched at the Esteban Abada Elementary School in Quezon City.
According to Angara, the program aims to provide learners and teachers access to free medical consultations, laboratory tests, and preventive care under PhilHealth’s Konsulta Package program.
The DepEd chief said the department will facilitate the registration of students and teachers with PhilHealth as part of the requirement for availing themselves of the Konsulta benefits.
He added that the department will also develop a School Health Package, which will be informed by health data collected from learners, referral patterns, and learners’ health-seeking behaviors.
