CRC/C/15/Add.259 page 15 Adolescent health 62. The Committee notes with appreciation the State party’s efforts to promote adolescent health, including through implementation of the Reproductive Health Programme and a joint project on adolescent health in collaboration with the Population Commission and UNFPA. The Committee is concerned about alcohol, tobacco and drug abuse among adolescents, early pregnancies and in this respect adolescents’ limited access to reproductive health counselling and accurate and objective information about, for example contraception. The lack of legislation establishing a minimum age for purchasing and consuming alcohol gives cause for concern. The Committee also shares the State party’s concern about the lack of measures to prevent suicide among adolescents. 63. The Committee recommends to the State party that it: (a) Implement national policies and plans on adolescent health, such as the Reproductive Health Programme and develop new policies and plans to cover all fields of adolescent health by taking into account general comment No. 4 (2003) on adolescent health and development; (b) Ensure access to reproductive health counselling and provide all adolescents with accurate and objective information and services in order to prevent teenage pregnancies and related abortions; (c) Strengthen formal and informal education on sexuality, HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases and family planning; (d) Establish by law the minimum age for purchasing and consuming alcohol; (e) Provide adolescents with information on the harmful consequences of alcohol, drug and tobacco use; (f) Establish adequate mental health services tailored for adolescents; (g) Seek technical cooperation with, among others, WHO, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS and UNFPA. HIV/AIDS 64. The Committee notes the relatively low HIV prevalence rate in the country and welcomes the various efforts being made to address the prevention of transmission and the reduction of HIV/AIDS, including through the implementation of the AIDS Prevention and Control Act (Republic Act No. 8504), adopted in 1998, and the establishment of the National AIDS Prevention and Control Programme in 1998, the Committee is concerned about the presence of risk factors predisposing HIV-infection, such as the high number of sex workers. While noting that the AIDS Prevention and Control Act guarantees access to complete HIV/AIDS information in schools, the Committee expresses its concern about the inadequate level of HIV/AIDS awareness among Philippine adolescents.