By Annabel Consuelo Petinglay/Philippine News Agency
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique — The Antique Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) has intensified its awareness and advocacy campaign on HIV-AIDS by visiting schools.
The number of human immunodeficiency virus – acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) cases recorded in Antique from January 1986 to July 2019 has reached 185.
“Of the 185 number of cases in the province, 36 percent belong to the age group 15 to 24 years old,” Gerald Tung, IPHO Nurse and Point Person of the program on HIV, said in an interview on Friday.
Tung said the 36 percent, or 66 of those diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, are with the senior high school age group.
“Since the June school opening, we had been going to the schools to conduct advocacy against HIV/AIDS,” he added.
He said they had already conducted their advocacy campaign at the Advance Central College, University of Antique, and the Antique National School.
“The Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) had already been equipped on how to handle HIV/AIDS cases,” Tung said.
He said some 800 BHWs in the entire province, clustered into five municipalities each, had undergone a one-day training last year on how to end the stigma on HIV/AIDS.
“We are also proposing the establishment of condom station(s) even in just Antique’s capital town, San Jose de Buenavista, initially,” he said.
Tung noted that condom stations had already been established in several areas in Iloilo City.
Condoms are provided for free as a means to minimize teenage pregnancy and decrease the incidence of HIV/AIDS.
He said the establishment of condom stations in Iloilo City also met strong resistance from the people, but the IPHO persisted.
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