Reg. 7 ranks 3rd in HIV prevalence

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines  — Region 7, comprising the Central Visayas provinces of Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental and Siquijor, ranks 3rd among the regions in the Philippines with the highest prevalence of the human immunodeficiency virus.

This was disclosed by Father Rodolfo Cancino Jr. executive secretary of the Episcopal Commission on Health Care of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines on Tuesday during a symposium on HIV/AIDS in Dumaguete City for members of the clergy and religious of the Diocese of Dumaguete.

Cancino, citing figures of the UNAIDS, the United Nations’ program on HIV/AIDS on the prevalence of HIV positive cases, said the National Capital Region ranked first with 41 percent, followed by Region 4A or the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Rizal and Quezon provinces) area with 15 percent and Region 7 with 14 percent, as of last year.

Other regions in the country had less than 10 percent of HIV positive prevalence, according to the UNAIDS statistics, said Cancino.

Region 7 is now a “hotspot,” with the total number of HIV positive cases from 2011 to 2013 having surpassed the total number of cases reported for the first 25 years since the virus was discovered, he said.

The youngest female patient that Cancino said he had attended to was a 12-year-old from Region 7 who died of complications from the virus because she failed to get an early diagnosis. Cancino said the mother of the girl pushed her into prostitution for their family’s survival.

The youngest male patient Cancino had in Region 7 was a 13-year-old who was exposed to street prostitution.

Cancino also said the Philippines is among the seven countries in the world with the highest increase of HIV positive cases as of last count at 25 percent, quoting the UNAIDS Global 2010 report. The other countries are Armenia, Bangladesh, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajiskistan.

According to the priest, who is also a medical doctor, a profile of HIV/AIDS cases in the Philippines at the end of 2013 showed that patients aged 1 to 59 were infected of the virus. Also, more males were infected than females and sexual activity was the primary mode of transmission of the virus, Cancino said.

June 2014 marked the highest incidence rate with 19,989 cases reported and to get an estimate of the total with the unreported cases included, the total could swell to as four times the number, Cancino added.

Many persons living with HIV/AIDS have been suffering from stigma and discrimination and do not seek treatment despite the Philippine government’s offer of free treatment, the priest said, adding that fear has been the leading cause of their choice to shun away from public scrutiny.

Because of this, Cancino said HIV/AIDS is now considered the “modern day leprosy,” with the affected people being like lepers in the story of Jesus in the Bible.

Cancino said the challenge of HIV/AIDS now is that it is no longer a medical problem but a spiritual and social problem as well. The role of the Catholic Church in helping prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS is to be kept abreast with and to understand the demand of discussing the problem that confronts the family, the church and society, specifically the youth.  (FREEMAN)