BUTUAN CITY – Stigma and fear remain the major challenges faced by the Department of Health (DOH) 13 (Caraga) and its partners in detecting and treating human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the region.
Dr. Dioharra Aparri, head of the DOH-13 health program support team, said stigma and fear of discrimination lead to "denial" situations, which continue to hamper the campaign to encourage residents to take tests.
“That stigma and fear of how the community will treat one who is found positive with HIV still lingers among residents. But we have to understand that it is only through a test that HIV infection is determined and the application of medication,” Aparri said in an interview on Tuesday.
She made it clear that testing remains the "only key" to boost detection rates and corresponding treatment, which would decrease HIV cases in the region.
From 1995 to May this year, the DOH-13 recorded 1,628 HIV cases in the region, with 94 percent of the carriers being men aged 25 to 34.
Of the cases, 960 were transmitted through male-to-male sex while the rest were through male-to-female sex, with some instances of transmissions from mother to child.
Among the cities in the region, Butuan logged the highest number of cases at 420, followed by Surigao (214), Bislig (65), Tandag (60), Bayugan (59), and Cabadbaran (40).
In the provinces, Agusan del Sur has the highest number of cases at 280, Surigao del Sur (216), Surigao del Norte (130), Agusan del Norte (113), and Dinagat Islands (31).
Aparri said the figures are expected to grow, as more tests are being conducted in the region.
Info campaign
With this, DOH-13 said it is waging a full-scale information campaign on HIV through information dissemination in communities, especially among the younger population.
Aparri said the region has five functioning hubs for those found positive for the virus – one in this city, two in Agusan del Sur, one in Surigao del Sur, and another in Surigao City.
“We are telling the public that testing for HIV is free. The medicines, as well as diagnostic tests, are also free,” she said. (PNA)
