CV ranks 3rd in most number of HIV cases

CEBU, Philippines- Central Visayas ranks third with the most number of individuals infected by HIV in 2014 nationwide, the Department of Health disclosed.

Of the 6,011 cases recorded last year, 10 percent or 618 individuals are from Central Visayas, but Dr. Jonathan Erasmo of DOH’s National Epidemiology Center said the number could be higher.

“This is due to high number of clients seeking HIV testing and availability of laboratory offering the test. It could be due to high number of individuals practicing risky behaviors,” he said.

Erasmo is the program manager of National AIDS and STD Prevention and Control Program of DOH – 7.

National Capital Region registered the highest number with 41 percent or 2,473 cases followed by Region IV-A with 14 percent or 867 cases.

Meanwhile, Region 3 shares nine percent or 549 cases followed by Region 11 with seven percent or 403 cases. The remaining 18 percent are cases from the remaining parts of the country.

Erasmo said among those considered ‘risky behaviors’ are sexual contact through multiple sexual partners, injecting drug use, and unprotected sex.

On a national scale, 94 percent or 5,649 individuals were infected through sexual contact while 357 individuals or six percent were infected through sharing of needle among drug users.

Of the 6,011 cases last year, 96 percent or 5,758 were male.

Erasmo said this can be attributed to ‘males having sex with other males’, considered to be the predominant type of sexual transmission.

Erasmo also pointed out that those who are being infected by the disease are getting younger – 1,690 individuals ages 15 to 24. 

“It (age) is getting younger and younger compared to the past years,” he said.

He urged the public to take precautionary measures such as consulting social hygiene clinics to prevent the number of HIV cases from increasing and to contain the transmission of the disease.

“It (HIV and AIDS) is incurable and fatal but it can be prevented,” he said.

The DOH program, which seems to fight HIV/AIDS has received opposition recently for allegedly promoting the use of drugs. The program provides free syringes to ‘persons who inject drugs’ or PWID.

DOH 7 Director Jaime Bernadas clarified that the intervention is basically to provide access to safe supplies. “With the unsafe use of unhygienic syringes, hatagan nato og avenue (sila) nga naay access to sterile syringes,” he said.

“I know there are a lot of questions raised but this program is intended at countering the incidents of HIV/AIDS,” he added.

Lawyer Clarence Paul Oaminal, former undersecretary of the Dangerous Drugs Board, pointed out that it is unlawful for a person, who unless, authorized by law, to possess or have under his or her control any equipment, instrument, apparatus and other paraphernalia fit or intended for smoking, consuming, administering, injecting, ingesting, or introducing any dangerous drug into the body.

“It (injecting for the use of drugs) is as a crime, a violation,” Oaminal said, citing the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.

 CADAC recommended the suspension of the program until the legality of the act would be resolved.  (FREEMAN)