HIV test proxy consent for minors being readied

THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Health (DOH), and Department of Education are set to issue a joint administrative order for proxy consent for minors to avail the testing for Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immunodeficiency Virus.

DSWD Undrsecretary Mae Fe Templa in an interview yesterday during the Forum of Right to Health of Children in Accessing HIV Testing and services held at Royal Mandaya Hotel said that they are calling all agencies to be part of the protocol development and the finalization of guidelines on how to provide proxy consent when children affected by HIV-Aids will not be able to achieve the consent from their parents.

“So when the children are not able to convince or persuade their parents due to some circumstances or reasons we have to provide proxy consent... DSWD is part of this major undertaking, (along with) DOH, Deped and National Youth Commission,” she said.

“The three major agencies DOH, DSWD, Deped we will be in the forefront in promoting this proxy consent because we would like to push further the protection of children affected with HIV and Aids. We

will have a soft launch of this protocol because we have to come up with this new guidelines to issue proxy consent we are deputizing social workers,” she said.

She added that they envision the protocol for this to be issued by early January through an administrative order. The three major agencies, she said, will be undertaking this as a public policy under two existing laws, the Presidential Decree 603 or The Child and Youth Welfare Code and the Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.

“And of course the administrative orders issued by DOH and DSWD in relation to the HIV and AIDS,” she added. KVC (For full story visit www.sunstar.com. ph/davao/)