House committee discusses sexual health policy

The lack of free social advertising on the public broadcasting station meant the health promotion department had to take on a financial burden to educate people about important issues such as sexual health, Parliament's Social Affairs' Committee heard last week.

This point was raised as members discussed a report it is drawing up on sexual health that will help in the drafting of the long-awaited National Sexual Health Policy.

When contacted, PBS chairman Clare Thake Vassallo stressed that "this is not entirely the case" since the station offered free 30-second public service announcements that had recently been increased from 50 to 70 per year.

She said these were available to NGOs, the government and the Church among others.

In 2004, the government decided to run the station on commercial lines and it is now only 20 per cent state-funded. However, the bulk of the revenue depended on advertising, Ms Thake Vassallo said.

Nonetheless, committee chairman Edwin Vassallo told The Times he believed the manner in which social promotions were handled by the public broadcaster had to be rethought.

"It is important to distinguish between social promotions and commercial adverts since PBS has to remain in tune with its responsibility towards the public," he said.

The committee also discussed the importance of education, which members said had to be tailored to various ages and localities.

An EU-wide health survey found that more than 75 per cent of Maltese interviewed never used a condom. This supports the findings released by the Genitourinary Clinic in December which showed that about 70 per cent of the 14,000 who visited the clinic since 2000 admitted to never using this form of contraception.

The Sexual Health Policy has been in incubation for about eight years and it might be a step closer to realisation as the committee should soon finalise its report on the subject.

The report would be an important tool in the formulation of the policy aimed at strengthening sexual health education and calling for more responsibility from society at large. A Social Policy Ministry spokesman said the policy was "in the process of being finalised" but did not give a clear indication of a time frame.