
The Department of Health (DOH) has vowed to further expand the number of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment hubs in the country.
The goal of the DOH is to make HIV treatment services more accessible, said DOH-Prevention and Control Bureau Program Expert Roland Sardan in a webinar on Thursday, Dec. 1.
“Sa serbisyong medikal, pinapalawig natin yung pagpaparami ng testing sites, treatment hubs, and primary HIV care facilities para yung mga key populations natin ay hindi na kailangan dumayo sa urban area para mag access ng kanilang services (In terms of medical services, we are expanding the number of testing sites, treatment hubs, and primary HIV care facilities so that our key populations no longer need to travel to urban areas to access these services),” said Sardan.
At present, there are 184 treatment hubs and primary HIV care facilities nationwide, said Sardan.
“Ginagawa natin itong pagpapalawig para po ma-access ang services sa pinakamalapit na lugar sa kanila (We are doing this in order to make it accessible and bring the services closer to people),” he said.
Aside from medical services, the DOH has also partnered with other organizations to protect people living with HIV against discrimination.
“Karamihan kasi ng Persons Living with HIV natin ay nakakaranas ng iba't-ibang uri ng inequalities. Kunwari sa pag access ng serbisyong pang medikal, pagkakaroon ng tamang trabaho, legal service at iba pa
(Most persons living with HIV experience various types of inequalities like in accessing medical services, in terms of securing jobs, legal services, among others),” said Sardan.
“For legal services, meron tayong mga kaakbay na civil society organizations na sila yung tumutulong para sa PLHIV na meron mga concerns regarding legal cases, kunyari, nadiscriminate, unjust na natanggal sa trabaho (For legal services, we have partnered with some civil society organizations that can help PLHIV who have concerns regarding legal cases, for example they were discriminated or were unjustly fired from their work),” he added.
Based on the latest DOH data, a total of 1,383 confirmed HIV-positive individuals were recorded in October.
Of the total reported cases in October, 1,346 acquired HIV through sexual contact, 15 through sharing of infected needles, six through mother-to-child transmission, while 16 had no data on mode of transmission at the time of reporting, the DOH said.
The Philippines has already recorded a total of 107,177 cases since the first HIV cases were recorded in 1984.