Cebu officials alarmed over rise in HIV cases

CEBU CITY — City health officials have raised fears about an alarming increase of HIV cases in Cebu, more so because they are on the loose.

Department of Health officials confirmed that in Cebu City alone, the number of HIV cases increased from one last year to seven this year and regionwide, from just two last year to 11 this year.

Of those infected, four are males and three are females. From among them, there is a couple, a commercial sex worker, a homosexual and an overseas worker.

But health officials said the last thing they want to do is quarantine HIV-positive and full-blown AIDS patients simply because the law prohibits it.

Rene Josef Bullecer, of the AIDS Free Philippines program, said Republic Act 8504 or the Philippine AIDS Prevention and Control Act of 1998, specifically prohibits any form of confinement or isolation and mandatory hygiene examination for persons suspected with AIDS.

He said the law provides that "the State shall extend to every person suspected or known to be infected with HIV/AIDS full protection of his/her human rights and civil liberties."

AIDS, or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, results from infection with a virus called HIV or Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

This virus infects key cells of the body’s immune system that in time the damaged immune system loses its ability to defend the body against bacteria, viruses and other microscopic organisms. A substantial decline in immune cells leaves the body vulnerable to certain cancers that gradually become fatal.

There is no cure for AIDS, but medical treatments can slow down the rate at which HIV weakens the immune system.

DOH statistics show that in a span of four years since 1989, there have been 57 HIV/AIDS cases in the region.

Of the 57 cases, men accounted for 70 percent (40 cases), and women, 30 percent (17 cases).

Of the 17 infected women, five are housewives, 11 are commercial sex workers and one was infected through the use of intravenous needles.

Nationwide, there are 1,938 cases as of September this year. AIDS Foundation Inc. executive director Jose Narciso Melchor Sescon gave the caveat that present figures may only represent five percent of the total number of cases.

This is because very few are willing to consult and be examined, much more admit to having the disease.

Coralou Kintanar of DOH-7 said recent surveys revealed that most individuals infected with such a disease belong to the 20-39 age group and that 30 percent of the cases are overseas Filipino workers, 62 percent of whom are men.

DOH officials said there is an increased risk of HIV transmission brought about by low condom use, high percent of illicit intravenous drug use, poor health-seeking behavior, increased sexual activity especially among the youth and the wrong notion that "it can only infect others and not me."

Health officials said that since there is no cure for AIDS, the only way to prevent it is to practice safe sex.

Bullecer said plans are underway to establish an HIV Pavilion in the region and a healing center at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

But for the government to subsidize AIDS patients entails costs. Each AIDS patient will mean a subsidy of P20,000 to P30,000 per month. — Freeman News Service