PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan — The Joint United Nations Program on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) urged Palawan municipal government officials to activate their local councils and pass anti-discrimination laws and to prevent the spread of infection.
UNAIDS Philippines Country Director Dr. Louie Ocampo said Monday in an HIV 101 forum and orientation that activation of the councils can strengthen community responses against HIV/AIDS, especially since the province remains on top of the Mimaropa (Region 4-B) list with the high number of cases.
He said that there is a need to have functional local HIV/AIDS councils in the provincial, city, and municipal levels and to tap involvement of multi-sectoral partners.
In 2017, Palawan recorded 269 cases of people living with HIV. Most cases recorded, he said, were transmitted by the male having contact with another male or M2M.
“The truth is there are people already infected in Palawan. Most are due to sexual transmission, and among the youth — as early as 12 years old are already engaging in sex. That is the truth,” he said.
Ocampo said Mimaropa’s contribution to the total population of Filipinos with HIV in the country alone is 2 percent.
Although it does not belong to the list of 11 regions with the most number of HIV cases, it’s still alarming that Palawan’s contribution is increasing yearly.
“Even if we are not included in the list in the whole country, it’s still alarming because we are top in Mimaropa,” Ocampo added.
Of the 269 cases Palawan recorded last year, 178 were from Puerto Princesa, 14 from Taytay town, and 11 each for Roxas and Narra municipalities.
The widespread occurrence of HIV can be due to low use of contraceptives, low testing rate, minimal treatment coverage, non-functional HIV/AIDS council, and the persistent stigma affecting people living with the disease, Ocampo added.
“Because of the stigma, many are afraid to be tested and many refuse treatment because they know they’ll be discriminated. They feel that they won’t be accepted, and to them, it is important to be accepted,” he said. (Celeste Anna Formoso/PNA)
