CENTRAL Visayas maintained its fourth spot among regions in the country with the highest number of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive individuals, based on the July 2019 records of the HIV/Aids and Art Registry of the Philippines.
From 78 newly diagnosed HIV cases in the region last June, Central Visayas registered 93 new HIV cases, or eight percent of the total 1,111 new HIV cases in the country in July.
Region 7 is next to Region 3 with 134 new cases, Region 4A with 180 new cases and the National Capital Region (NCR) with the highest number of new cases at 380.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines HIV as a virus that infects cells of the immune system, destroying or impairing their function. While Aids, or the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, is a term that applies to the most advanced stages of HIV infection. It is defined by the occurrence of any of more than 20 opportunistic infections or HIV-related cancers.
In the first five months of 2019, Cebu Province, which has the largest population in the region, had the highest number of HIV cases with 69 for the month of May alone. It had a total of 333 HIV cases from January to May.
Bohol had 29 HIV cases, Negros Oriental had 31 cases, while Siquijor, the smallest province in the region, had three cases during this period.
Since 1984, the country has recorded a total of 69,512 HIV positive individuals. Based on records of the Department of Health Epidemiology Bureau, an average of 35 people are diagnosed with HIV every day.
Among the leading modes of transmission are male to male sex, male to female sex, sharing of infected needles and mother to child transmission.
Dr. Helen Madamba of the Share a Child Movement Inc. called on pregnant mothers to have themselves tested for HIV.
“I, myself, deliver HIV positive mothers. Right now there is a call for pregnant women to be tested with HIV because there is an intervention to prevent mother to child transmission. Unfortunately, those that we diagnose after delivery, mothers did not know that they have HIV, so they transmitted it to their children,” she said.
In July 2019, 10 pregnant women in the country were diagnosed with HIV: six were from the NCR and one each from Region 7, 1, 4A and 11. In June, two pregnant mothers were also found to be HIV positive.
Madamba urged the public to get checked for free at HIV testing facilities at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) Treatment Hub, VSMMC (Balay Maingkawasnon) and the Chong Hua Hospital in Mandaue City, among others.
To raise awareness on HIV and to break its stigma, the World Aids Day celebration will be held at the Cebu City Sports Center on Dec. 1. WBS