“The truth will
set you free,” is a widely
used phrase derived from
John 8:32 in which Jesus
enjoins those who believe
in taking their faith in action. Indeed, being aware
of something provides us
with a fresh perspective
and motivates us to take
action.
Unfortunately,
certain truths remain unrecognized or are intentionally ignored by people,
such as the increasing
cases of HIV-AIDS in the
country. This issue often
remains unspoken due to
the prevailing stigma associated with it.
HIV cases in
ZamPen
According to the
report of the Regional
Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU)-9,
between 1991 and March
2023, a total of 1,740 cases of HIV and AIDS were
recorded in the Zamboanga Peninsula. From
January to March of 2023,
Zamboanga City recorded
44 new cases, bringing the
total number of cases in
the city to 855. Zamboanga del Sur reported 36 new
cases, bringing its total to
358; while Zamboanga del
Norte had 16 new cases
making a total of 306 cases. The province of Zamboanga Sibugay had 15
new cases making a total
of 188 cases. During the
same period, Isabela City
in Basilan recorded 2 new
cases, bringing its total to
33.
Recent data also
revealed that the higher number of cases are
among male, with 1,637
cases reported from 1991
to March 2023, whereas there were 103 cases
reported among females
during the same period.
According to
the RESU-9 report, the
age group with the highest number of diagnosed
cases in the region is the
working-age population,
which often has the means
to engage in risky behaviors, such as paying for
sex. Specifically, the age
bracket of 25-34 years old
had the highest number of
new cases, with 61 recorded from January to March
2023 and a total of 886
cases from 1991 to the
present. The age group
of 15-24 follows closely,
with 33 new cases from
the same period and a total of 528 cases. For the
age group of 35-49, there
were 16 new cases and a
total of 285 cases. Among
individuals aged 15 and
below, two new cases
were recorded from January to March 2023, resulting in a total of 10 cases.
Lastly, there was one new
case for individuals aged
50 and above, with a total of 31 cases in that age
group.
As for the mode
of transmission, males
who have sex with other
males have the highest
number of reported cases,
with 73 new cases reported from January to March
2023 alone, and a total of
971 cases from 1991 to
March 2023. The second
highest number of cases recorded were among
males who have sex with
both males and females,
with 494 cases reported
as of March 2023. There
are 243 cases reported
due to male-fame sex or
heterosexual intercourse,
while 8 cases were transmitted from mother to
child. Additionally, 24 cases were recorded as being
of unknown transmission
origin.
Where does
ZamPen stand?
ZamPen ranks
13th in the number of diagnosed HIV cases in the
Philippines. Among the
regions with the highest
number of cases is the
National Capital Region
(NCR) with 27,588 diagnosed cases, followed by
CALABARZON (Region
4A) with 17,717 and Central Luzon (Region 3) with
11, 108 diagnosed cases.
The same three
regions in the country
have consistently reported
the highest number of new
cases of HIV for the past
5-6 years. Looking at the
trend, the number of cases
has drastically increased
over the years. In 2013,
there were only 13 cases
diagnosed per day across
the country, while in 2018,
it ballooned to 31 cases
per day. The number rose
to 41 cases per day in
2022, and in 2023, a staggering 54 cases were reportedly diagnosed daily.
Data from the
Epidemiology Bureau of
the Department of Health
(DOH) and the Regional
Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU)-9 show
the comparative data of
the country’s national and
regional diagnosis and
treatment coverages.
According to the
HIV Care Cascade Report, as of March 2023,
the entire Philippines has
achieved 59% of its diagnosis coverage, and 62%
of its treatment coverage.
In the Zamboanga Peninsula region, it
is estimated that approximately 2,900 people are
living with HIV. Out of this
population, 1,621 individuals, which accounts
for 56%, have been diagnosed and are currently
receiving treatment. Notably, 83% of those who
have undergone testing
have achieved viral suppression.
“We are doing
good and we are continuously trying to be better for
this year,” Clarissa Jose,
Nurse V of the DOH-9
Center for Health Development said.
Viral suppression
refers to the percentage of
people with diagnosed HIV
who have less than 200
copies of HIV per milliliter
of blood. It is important for
people to be aware of their
HIV status, as this knowledge allows them to initiate HIV treatment if they
are infected. Consistently
taking HIV medication as
prescribed can lead to an
undetectable viral load,
which is a significant goal
in HIV management and
reduces the risk of transmission to others.
Ways Forward
The DOH Zamboanga Peninsula Center for Health Development will soon launch the
Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis
(PREP) for HIV. Jose encourages those who don’t
want to get HIV to take
PREP.
“You do not take
this as easily as a vitamin.
Once you want to enroll
and take the PREP you
have to undergo a laboratory examination,” DOH9
Nurse Jose said.
She stressed that
a person should be tested
for HIV and get a negative result before one can
take it. Meanwhile, an HIV
self-test kit from the DOH
is available in the Rural
Health Units (RHU).
In the past, when
an HIV test result was reactive, the blood sample
had to be sent to Manila
for testing, which resulted
in a three-month waiting
period for the region to receive the results. Unfortunately, by the time clients
received their results, they
had either already passed
away or had potentially
transmitted the virus to
others.
Today, Zamboanga Peninsula (ZamPen) has established one
rHIVDA (rapid HIV Diagnostic Algorithm) or HIV
confirmatory site, namely
the Zamboanga City Medical Center (ZCMC). This
center also serves as the
first treatment hub in the
region, offering free antiretroviral treatment for all
HIV-positive individuals.
The region is further expanding its services with
the establishment of two
additional rHIVDA and
treatment hubs, specifically the Zamboanga del Sur
Medical Center and the
Corazon C. Aquino Hospital in Dipolog City. The Department of Health (DOH)
in Region 9 is actively providing HIV testing training
to all laboratories, aiming
to enhance the accessibility of testing facilities for
the community.
The health department is also adding
treatment hubs in the
region. In Zamboanga Sibugay, the Family
Healthcare Hospital in the
municipality of RT Lim is
now for final assessment,
the first private hospital
to be a treatment hub in
the region. There are also
plans to launch two possible Primary HIV Care Facilities in Kabasalan and
Diplahan RHUs. Moreover, the Malangas Hospital has shown interest
in becoming a treatment
facility. Sulu Sanitarium is
another treatment facility
they are looking into.
In Zamboanga
City, DOH will be expanding and looking into the
Mindanao Central Sanitarium and Labuan Public Hospital as additional
treatment hubs before the
year ends. With the additional facilities, the DOH
expects to ease the burden of ZCMC.
F u r t h e r m o r e ,
the Department of Health
(DOH) has been actively
conducting HIV counseling and testing at various
locations throughout Zamboanga Peninsula (ZamPen). Prior to undergoing an
HIV test, individuals are
required to receive pretest and post-test counseling. This counseling
serves to educate individuals about the HIV testing
process, helps them understand its implications,
and assists in developing
a plan of action in case of
a reactive screening result
or a positive confirmatory
result.
To support these
efforts, the DOH conducts
training sessions for participants who have been
endorsed by Municipal
Health Officers. These
trained individuals play a
crucial role in advocating
for HIV testing and conducting HIV testing campaigns within the community.
In addition, DOH
conducts IMPAC or the
Inventory & Mapping of
at-risk Population, Areas
and Current HIV services,
a random HIV testing offered in populous areas
in coordination with the
RHUs. The chosen areas
are based on the data that
were given to DOH. Their
team will go to the location
from around 5 pm until 9
pm or until there are interested individuals who are
willing to get tested.
Call for action
“Do not be afraid
to talk about sex,” Nurse
Clarissa Jose of DOH9
said.
She encourages everyone, especially
the parents to talk about
sex as educational, and
informative as possible,
to young people. So that
the younger generation,
as young as they are, will
have informed and smart
decisions for the future.
The Philippines has committed to the 95-95-95
goal of the United States
Agency for International Development (USAID)
in controlling the human
immunodeficiency virus,
commonly known as HIV.
HIV is a sexually transmitted infection, a virus
that attacks the body’s
immune system. If it is not
treated, it can lead to Aacquired IimmunoDdeficiency Ssyndrome (AIDS).
USAID’s 95-
95-95 campaign aims
to diagnose 95% of all
HIV-positive individuals; provide antiretroviral
therapy (ART) for 95% of
those diagnosed, linking
them to treatment, care,
and support; and achieve
viral suppression for 95%
of those treated by 2030.
(KSA/RVC/CCP/PIA9)
