Cebu has 18 new HIV/AIDS cases

CEBU, Philippines - There are 18 additional human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/Aids) cases in Cebu from January to May 2012, said the AIDS-Free Philippines (AFP).

The additional cases made Cebu reach a total of 538 cases “received, seen and diagnosed at AIDS-Free Philippines.”

Of the 18 cases, 16 are males while two are females and all are overseas Filipino workers and seamen according to AFP national director Dr. Rene Josef Bullecer during the Tapok-Tapok sa Sugbo Media Forum at NS Pension yesterday.

Bullecer showed the national statistics having 1,232 new cases from January to May this year bringing the total to 9,596 cases where 1,118 are AIDS and 8,478 are HIV with 359 deaths recorded.

Of the total number of cases, 21 percent is from Central Visayas with 19 percent from Cebu.

Bullecer said that of the 538 cases in Cebu, 499 are males and 39 are females with 54 deaths.

The last casualty who was a male patient, died last April 17 as reported by the HIV/AIDS core team of Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

Bullecer said that while there is no available vaccine for HIV, massive information campaign is still the only way to fight.

He said that they are targeting the so-called high risk groups which include maritime students, seamen, male engineering students, and high school students aged 14-15.

The figure showed by Bullecer yesterday was even lower than what VSMMC and the Cebu City Health Department earlier reported.

VSMMC reported 40 HIV patients who have regularly been given anti-retroviral drugs since January this year while Cebu City Health Department HIV/Aids Detection Unit have recorded 88 HIV cases, including two patients who have developed AIDS in the same period.

The Department of Health also reported that from 1984 to 2012 (middle of May), there are 488 individuals found to have HIV in Central Visayas, but only 48 patients are undergoing the anti-retroviral treatment at VSMMC.

DOH said HIV-infected individuals need to visit treatment facilities religiously every six months so they can be closely monitored. — (FREEMAN)