World AIDS Day Celebration in Iloilo City to Focus on Youths, Medical Workers
ILOILO CITY, Nov. 22 (PNA) — The celebration of the World AIDS Day (WAD) in this city seeks to raise the awareness of the youth about the deadly infection, likewise pay tribute to medical workers who are helping in the human immunodeficiency virus – Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV-AIDS) campaign.
The global celebration slated December 1 in this city will be held at the West Visayas State University (WVSU) campus to “highlight the advocacy campaign among the youth,” said Robert Figuracion of the Family Planning Organization of the Philippines (FPOP) during Tuesday’s press conference here.
WVSU also produces medical doctors and nurses who are working in various health offices, specifically for the HIV-AIDS program, both in Western Visayas and at the national level.
Figuracion added that the activity will also serve as venue to “rekindle the commitment” of stakeholders to the HIV advocacy.
The December 1 activity will also be highlighted by an exhibit dubbed as ‘Sights and Sounds’ with a theme “Ilonggo HIV Advocacy: Through the Years and the launching of the WAD Run 2016.
The 2016 run slated December 11 is expected to generate some Php100,000 to be donated to the United Western Visayas Inc., a community of People Living with HIV. It targets students from 10 colleges and universities in this city.
Figuracion added that the focus of their advocacy is the youth sector as cases coming from their age bracket are alarming.
Data from the Department of Health (DOH) showed that 67 youths with ages 15-24 from Western Visayas were diagnosed with HIV during the first half of this year. As of June this year from 1986, Western Visayas already recorded 1,357 HIV-AIDS cases.
Meanwhile, Dr. Ray Celis of the HIV-AIDS Core Team at the Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC) said that as of October 30 this year, they are catering to 550 persons living with HIV-AIDS. Around 86 percent or 478 of them are taking anti-retroviral medication.
This year, WVMC has 224 additional new cases but 24 already died due to AIDS-related conditions, he revealed.
All patients diagnosed with HIV-AIDS are referred to WVMC for management. It is one of the two treatment hubs available in Western Visayas and Negros Occidental, Celis said.
This year’s celebration of the WADS has for its theme “Hands Up for HIV Prevention.”
The celebration will be done simultaneously in the cities of the National Capital Region (NCR), Puerto Prinsesa, Davao, Cagayan De Oro, Zamboanga and Iloilo City. (PNA)
LAP/PGLENA/CBF
(Source: PNA.gov.ph)