AIDS/HIV up in Baguio with 63 cases and rising

BAGUIO CITY – Individuals afflicted by the dreaded HIV/AIDS virus have gone up in this summer capital with 63 recorded cases.

Records of the city’s Aids Watch Council bared this saying out of the 63 cases  whose ages ranged from 17 to 48 years old, 47 were male  including 26 MSM (male having sex with male). Eighteen of of the cases have already died.

The AWAC officials said surveillance started 1992 and the 63 cases were confimed in laboratory tests.

Latest cases included three in 2013.

Following this, the city government through the AWAC urged vigilance and partnership among stakeholders to stop or abate HIV/AIDS cases and other sexually transmitted infections .

AWAC chairperson Mayor Mauricio Domogan, in his message during the recent   International Candlelight Memorial at the Igorot Park here called  on AWAC members, night bars and entertainment owners and workers, and the public to instill measures to fight AIDS.

He said “individually and collectively, it is our mandate and responsibility to contribute on how we can prevent AIDS infection in the society, for the safety of both Baguio folks and the city visitors.”

Domogan reiterated appeal of  Dr. Celiaflor Brillantes, head of the  City Health Services Office’s Reproductive Health and Wellness Center,  for  people  not to engage in unsafe sexual behaviour, which is the primary cause of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections.

“Prevention is still the best way to combat AIDS  as no cure or medicine has been developed  yet against such disease that is not only a concern in the country  but globally as well,” Domogan said.

Domogan, Brillantes and city HSO OIC Dr. Rowena Galpo, led offering of prayers, lighting of candles and in giving responses, in observance of International AIDS Candlelight Memorial.

International AIDS Candlelight Memorial, which started in 1983 and celebrated every third Sunday of May, is one of the oldest and largest grassroots mobilization campaign against HIV in the world.

This year the campaign adopted  the theme, “Let’s Keep the light on HIV to promote positive and forward looking attitude towards the campaign against HIV/AIDS.