DAVAO CITY, Dec. 3 (PIA) – The celebration of the World AIDS Day this year has called on those from the most-at-risk population to get tested for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) with the assurance that prevention and treatment program in the country has been improved.
Patrick Daison Albit, Region-11 area regional coordinator for the Global Fund Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc. HIV Program, has urged individuals from the vulnerable groups to avail of the free testing services to ascertain their health status, be treated properly and to help end the epidemic.
“Once they tested positive, they will immediately undergo proper treatment such as provision of medicines and counselling,” Albit stated during Friday’s (Dec. 3) episode of Gobyernong Balitaan radio program of the Philippine Information Agency Davao del Sur on Energy FM Digos.
Albit said that even if they tested negative, the prevention and control program has now covered the provision of free pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a medicine for people at risk to prevent them from getting HIV from sex.
He bared that PrEP medicines sponsored by the Global Fund are readily available in the treatment hubs in Davao Region, such as the Olympus Society of Davao, Reproductive Health and Wellness Center and Family Planning Organization of the Philippines, all in Davao City, and the Social Hygiene Clinic in Tagum City.
“The services have long been provided for free, but now the program covers more commodities and new strategies for HIV testing and prevention including the free PrEP,” he said.
On the HIV testing, he said that there are three means to avail of such service.
The individuals can choose to be tested from the government health facilities or at the treatment hubs, and through community-based screening where trained peer navigators can be requested to conduct HIV testing in the barangay or at home.
There are also available self-test kits, although Albit said that they are still on the process of getting sufficient supplies.
From January to July this year, Davao Region has registered 491 HIV/AIDS cases, which totals to 4,967 cases since 1993 when the first case was recorded in the region, he bared.
For the breakdown, Davao City registered the highest with 3,613 cases, followed by Davao del Norte with 636 cases; Davao del Sur (265); Davao de Oro (227); Davao Oriental (158); and Davao Occidental (68).
According to the data from the Regional HIV/STI Surveillance Unit of the Department of Health Region XI, most cases involve males with 4,690 cases, and there are 277 females.
The data also shows that most of these cases come from the age bracket of 25-34 years old (2,442 cases) and 15-24 years old (1,826 cases).
On the mode of transmission, most recorded cases are males having sex with males only (2,769), and males having sex with males and females (1,526).
The DOH-XI report also reveals that 2,927 PLHIV have undergone the antiretroviral therapy (ART).
Albit mentioned that Global Fund through the Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc. has poured in US$22.3 million from 2021 to 2023 to help in the prevention and control program implementation in a bid to end the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the country. (PIA-XI/Carina L. Cayon)
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