CEBU CITY – Over 300 Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) cases were recorded in Central Visayas in the first quarter of 2024.
DR. Jaime Bernadas (right), regional director of the Department of Health in Central Visayas, and Philippine Information Agency-7 chief Fayette Riñen discuss Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome cases in Region 7 during the Kapihan sa Bagong Lipunan forum on Tuesday, July 2. (Calvin D. Cordova)
The Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7) reported that 350 cases of HIV/AIDS were recorded in Region 7 from January to April. Most of these cases were in this city with 269 followed by Bohol with 40.
One-hundred sixty-five were new cases with 37 mortalities.
Dr. Jaime Bernadas, DOH-7 director, is alarmed by the possibility that there are more people who are living with the virus undetected.
Bernadas, speaking during the Kapihan sa Bagong Lipunan” news forum on Tuesday, July 2, said only a few individuals in Cebu submitted themselves for testing.
Existing laws that prohibit regulators and health experts to proactively conduct tests hinder efforts to detect HIV/AIDS, Bernadas said.
Some of the HIV/AIDS cases were detected during the pre-screening of blood donors.
“That’s what makes it alarming because we have people who do not know they are living with the virus,” Bernadas said.
From 1984 to the present, a total of 10,642 of individuals have been diagnosed with the disease.
Males having sex with males remains to be the top cause of the disease. Of total cases in the first quarter of the year, 199 were caused by male-to-male sex.
To help prevent the spread of the disease, the DOH-7 continues to intensify its education and information campaigns. “We have to promote awareness so that everybody gets to know that it is a real threat, it is around us,” Bernadas said.