During the visit, ROH’s local partners Tandikan Puerto Princesa, an LGBTQIA-led organization; Community for Positive Environment (COPE), a group of people living with HIV; and the Ospital ng Palawan Red Top Center shared experiences supporting HIV prevention, treatment, and care across the province. The delegation visited ROH’s two clinics where they had the chance to meet some of the health workers, program managers, community-based partners, and youth volunteers that are working on ground in Palawan.
“Norway is a global champion of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), pushing to accelerate access to SRHR, while also striving to safeguard the progress achieved so far. The Embassy is pleased to see how our support to ROH continues to make a meaningful impact. Their tireless efforts to address remaining gaps in Puerto Princesa and beyond are admirable, and the Embassy is proud to be a longstanding partner,” he said.
The Norwegian Embassy in Manila supports a multi-year partnership with Roots of Health on initiatives focusing on expanding access to reproductive health services and responding to the HIV crisis in Palawan.
“We are honored to welcome the Norwegian Embassy to our clinics and show how their support has helped us reach more people with life-saving care,” said Marcus Swanepoel, Deputy Executive Director of Roots of Health. “This visit is not only a chance to reflect on the progress we’ve made but also to explore how we can deepen our partnership to respond to urgent needs like HIV. Ending HIV won’t happen through silence or shame – it requires information, compassionate care, and investment in young people,” Swanepoel added.
Learn more about Roots of Health’s localized action against the national HIV epidemic on their website.