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Wednesday, May 10, 2017
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ILOILO City – The Health department’s intensified HIV and AIDS awareness and prevention campaign is targeting sexually active age groups.
Of the HIV and AIDS cases in Western Visayas from 1986 to February this year, 855 are from the 25–35 years old age group and 427 are from the 15–24 years old age group, according to the Department of Health.
On May 21 the Health department and the Family Planning Organization of the Philippines (FPOP) and other concerned groups will lead the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial at PHINMA-University of Iloilo.
Themed “Ending AIDS Together,” the event will focus on people living with HIV to know their status, for those aware that they are infected to seek treatment and for treatment to suppress the virus.
A commemorative walk to remember those who died with AIDS and a candle-lighting ceremony will highlight the activity.
The Liga ng mga Barangay in the city was tapped to bring in 350 participants.
Robert Figuracion of the FPOP – Iloilo chapter said they are constantly calling for volunteers to join their advocacy.
“What worry us are those who are afraid, stigmatized, discriminated, who are afraid to come to the clinic and access the services,” said Figuracion.
“[We hope to] break that stigma, and this coming Candlelight Memorial, while we remember those who died, we want to learn from lessons of the past so we can move forward and really end AIDS,” he added.
Western Visayas, including Negros Occidental, has 1,677 HIV and AIDS cases during the period.
Most of the cases are from Iloilo City (439). Iloilo province has 313 and Bacolod City, 307.
Negros Occidental has 295 HIV and AIDS cases. Capiz has 115; Aklan, 103; Antique, 72; and Guimaras, 33.
During the same period, the Health department regional office recorded 179 deaths.
Health officials also consider the rise in recorded HIV cases a positive development as this may mean many people are getting tested and close to treatment.
Areas with high cases of HIV and AIDS are hosts to treatment centers.
The treatments centers, which provide services to almost 95 percent of the cases, are at Western Visayas Medical Center in Iloilo City and Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod City.
Satellite centers are at The Medical City in Iloilo City and in Aklan, Antique and Capiz. (PNA)
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