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Introduction
The continuing process of enhancing the AIDS Medium Term Plan (AMTP), through nationwide and multi-sectoral participative consultations, serves as the unifying framework to clarify linkages and strengthen partnerships among stakeholders, by forging a common ground for STI/HIV/AIDS response in the Philippines. The task of unification and coordination lies with the Philippine National AIDS Council (PNAC), a multi-sectoral governing body created by the Philippine government to oversee HIV/AIDS response in the country.
The Third AMTP, which covered a planning horizon of five years, ended in 2004. It called for the acceleration of the country's response to stay ahead of the epidemic, a task both daunting and challenging that the country must resolutely carry on. To do so, a successor plan is necessary to sustain the gains of the past five years, and address the gaps and emerging challenges that country faces in relation to STI/HIV/AIDS.
The new plan will serve as a blueprint for action in accelerating the country's response to STI/HIV/AIDS during the next six-year period. This time, plan formulation will include not just the Medium Ter, Strategic Plan (2005-2010), but also an accompanying indicative Resource Requirement and a one-year Operational Plan (2005), which will be updated annualy. Based on the assessment of the AMTP III, it is envisioned that the national response must:
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intensify prevention interventions among highly vulnerable groups identified in AMTP III - people in prostitution (PIPs), men who have sex with men (MSMs), injecting drug users (IDUs) and clients of PIPs; and scale-up prevention efforts towards other vulnerable group (e.g., overseas Filipino Workers or OFWs, youth and children) |
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expand coverage and integrate HIV/AIDS in the development priorities at the local level, giving priority to identified risk zones; |
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improve the coverage and quality of care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS; and, |
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strengthen management support systems for the national response |
The formulation of the AMTP IV was guided by an agreed-upon Plan Content Outline and planning parameters approved by the PNAC. An Ad Hoc Planning Task Force composed primarily of the chairs and co-chairs of the existing PNAC committee and representatives from various sectors was organized to serve as the core planning body. This was expanded to four (4) sub-committees which put details in each strategic area. The planning was highly participatory, allowing identification of oversights and facilitating consensus among the key players. Series of national planning workshops attended by multi-sectoral representatives were undertaken including special meetings by the Local Response Committee and the workplace led by Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC) of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). The AMTP IV was further validated with regional and local counterparts through the regional cluster consultative meetings held ni Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
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