ALLIANCE Against AIDS in Mindanao, Incorporated-Mindanao (Alagad-Mindanao) said one of the factors in the rise of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases mortality rate in the country is due to inaccessibility of treatment hubs during Covid-19.
Michael Jesus Mahinay, executive director of Alagad-Mindanao, said during the Kapehan sa Dabaw press conference at SM City Davao on May 15, 2023, that the restrictions caused delays in the treatment of some HIV/Aids patients.
“The past two years, naa ta’y border control so ang effect niana, katong mga infected sa HIV cannot go to the treatment hub, so naay mga difficulty ang uban niana wala na ka-follow up, wala kakuhag tambal (When we had the strict border controls, those with HIV could not go to the treatment hubs, for some they were not able to get a follow-up check-up or get their medicines),” he said.
He said that from 1984 to 2023, the Department of Health (DOH) only reported a total of 6,000 cases of deaths in the country due to HIV.
“Daghan namatay pero wala na-report, so kung walay na-report dili siya counted (there are a lot mortality cases but some were not recorded),” he said.
“So among observation based sa DOH nga data, nagtaas ang mortality rate, mubo ang kaso sa diagnosis kay wala may testing, pero naay kanunay mga casualties (We have observed that there’s a rise of mortality rate and low cases of diagnosis because there were no testing conducted but we have casualties),” he added.
He said that there were also no prevention campaigns conducted during the restriction period.
“Wala’y nahitabo nga (there were no) prevention or outreach programs to those young people who have risky behavior because our facilities were transformed into Covid-19 facilities,” he said.
Mahinay said after the restrictions were lifted, they recorded an increase in diagnoses.
“Right after sa pag-lift na sa ban to travel nagpaspas ang education, so mas nadoolan na to ang mga young people, so nitaas ang diagnosis (When it was lifted, we have intensified the education and we were able to reach out to the young people, resulting in an increase in diagnosis),” he said.
He said that most of the infected patients in the country are from 15 to 24 years old and are sexually active and economically productive.
“Sa pagkakaron, mostly atong cases naa sa 33,182 for this age bracket in the national record (As of now there are 33,182 HIV cases in the country within this age bracket),” he said.
He added that in this age bracket, most are fresh graduates, working in business process outsourcing, and in the corporate set-up.
“They can afford mag-enjoy nightlife, unya kung wala sila’y (but if they don’t have) correct information regarding prevention, possibility nga ilang behavior magiging risky [into HIV] they will be at risk),” he added.
He also noted that this year, Davao City or Davao Region is not on the list of the top five cities and regions with the most number of HIV cases in the country.
Meanwhile, Mahinay said that one of the biggest challenges that the country needs to overcome in order to trace patients with HIV cases is stigma and discrimination.
“Dili pa madawat sa community nga naa gyud people living with HIV, dili madawat sa community nga kasagarang mga infected are coming from sectors with different sexual orientations (The community could still not accept that people are living with HIV, that most of the infected people are coming from sectors with different sexual orientations) still this feeling of stigma,” he said.
He added that with proper education in the community, HIV cases could be prevented. KSD