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Saturday, December 03, 2005
Acupuncture, garlic boost immune system v. Aids: expert
By Rimaliza Opiña
ACUPUNCTURE and the taking in of garlic enhance the immune system of people diagnosed with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Aids), a health expert said Friday.
Dr. Charles Cheng, president of the Aids Watch Council (Awac) based in Baguio, recommended the use of alternative medicines to raise the immune system of Aids patients.
In a press conference, Cheng suggested that aside from counseling of patients, using acupuncture and garlic might help prolong a patient's life.
Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese method of relieving pain and treating a variety of diseases by inserting needles into various parts of the body.
Cheng said acupuncture helps increase white blood cells (WBC) and T-cells. An increased number of WBC and T-cells fights the onset of secondary infections that affect those with lowered immune systems.
Garlic, on the other hand, is anti-viral and rich in anti-oxidants. It also helps prevent cancer.
He said the taking in of garlic in capsule form at least three times a day also helps boost the immune system of Aids patients.
Meanwhile, even with the continuous information drive on reproductive health, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and the dreaded Aids, Cheng said the knowledge of Filipinos on the disease remains lacking.
Baguio City, in particular, has been eyed by Awac as an "area of concern" because of its high migrant population.
Dr. Mary Margaret Apolinar, Awac vice president and head of the infectious diseases center of the Saint Louis University Hospital of the Sacred Heart, said a more aggressive drive has to be undertaken to educate the public on STIs.
"We have been very complacent, we have to move forward," Apolinar said.
Records from the social hygiene clinic (SHD) of the Baguio Health Department (BHD) revealed that from an average of one HIV case in 1992 to 2002, a sudden increase of six HIV cases was noted in 2004. This year, the SHD of the city recorded two HIV cases, wherein one died last April and the other reportedly indisposed.
From 1992 to 2005, the SHC registered a total of 18 cases of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a precursor to Aids, and 11 dead and seven others undergoing regular counseling by the BHD and Awac.
One of those diagnosed with the disease is an active member of the positive action against Aids, SHC head Dr. Celia Flor Brillantes said.
Brillantes said the spread of STIs and Aids could not be attributed to sex workers alone. She said "entertainers" in Baguio are in fact aware of their social responsibility and are mindful of the disease spread through sexual contact.
As such, she said the entertainers practice the use of condoms and undergo regular smear tests. She said what concerns them are "freelance" sex workers because they are harder to trace once discovered that they have Aids or STI.
A relatively young population where risky behavior among young adults is the main focus of the education campaign of Awac, Brillantes said.
Next year, the SHC would require the original or an authenticated true copy of the entertainer's birth certificate from the National Statistics Office (NSO) before a working permit would be issued.
To limit frequenting nightspots, Apolinar suggested that the City Government strictly impose the curfew zoning. She also said re-locating nightspots outside the central business district (CBD) at least hampers the movement of people to the areas.
Awac is composed of agencies such as the BHD, the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of Education (DepEd), the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), the City Council committee on health, the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC), Baguio Fil-Chinese Medical Center, Baguio Center for Young Adults, Plan International, Foundation for Humanity Center for Development, Baguio Association of Hotels and Inns, Vicariate Youth Ministry and Cañao and Hands Incorporated.
(December 3, 2005 issue)
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