IN A BID to help prevent the spread of the human immunodeficiency virus, Benguet’s capital town is spearheading an awareness campaign in celebration of the World Aids Day.

Students from La Trinidad and nearby Tublay town convened during the one day awareness drive with the theme: “Know your status.”

During the forum, Darwin Babon, HIV supervising regional facilitator from the Department of Health Center of Health Development Cordillera Administrative Region 445 cases of HIV-Aids in the region from 1984 to June 2018.

Babon added there are 29 cases recorded in the valley from 1984 to June 2018.

HIV cases, according to Babon, may vary with mother to child transmission where Benguet recorded three cases, and the male to male prevalent cases in the Philippines and worldwide.

“We are all aware it just so happen it is behavioral. Alam natin pwedeng magka HIV kung unprotected sex. Dapat may intervention din sa pagbago ng mga behavior ng mga tao kasi kahit araw-araw magpatest kung araw araw unprotected sex, it is like your waiting for you to be HIV positive,” adds Babon.

For HIV testing, he shared the prevailing stigma on the matter. However the health officer stated “we are seeing little by little Cordilleran getting aware na hindi nagpa- HIV test, HIV positive.”

Aside from HIV screening on clinic and hospital, the DOH is also going to communities and workplaces to conduct free HIV screening, adds Babon.

In the succeeding days, a training is set for health care workers in Ifugao and Itogon in Benguet. In the whole country, the Cordillera region has one of the lowest cases of HIV next to the Armm.

From the 435 cases, a total of 33 deaths were recorded in the whole Cordillera.

The Municipal Social Welfare Development Office meanwhile urge the stakeholders to tap main health center and health station for treatment with the service delivery network and referral system.