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DOH reports spike in HIV-AIDS cases in Region 7
DUMAGUETE CITY, Dec. 2 (PNA) -- The Department of Health’s (DOH) mobile voluntary counseling and testing program has resulted in increased detection of persons with HIV-AIDS in Region 7 this year, according to Mark Wenceslao of DOH-7.

Speaking at a Kapihan forum Wednesday, he disclosed that records from DOH-7 showed Cebu is number one in the region with 2,304 HIV-AIDs cases from 1984 up to the present. Bohol came in second with 82 cases, Negros Oriental with 52 cases and Siquijor province with two cases.

In September alone this year, Cebu has 55 new cases, Bohol, five new cases while Negros Oriental and Siquijor had zero new cases, said Wenceslao.

National statistics would show that 24 new cases were recorded every day for the month of October this year.

With the mobile voluntary counseling and testing program, more HIV-AIDS cases have been detected, according to Wenceslao. With this comes also an increase in the percentage of monitoring and managing these cases that will reduce the possibility of transmission.

Most of those affected in Region 7 are males who inject drugs or males having sex with males numbering about 2,292 as of September 2015 compared to only 246 females.

By age group, 802 cases are persons aged 15 to 24 years, 1,055 patients aged 25 to 34 years, and 585 cases for persons aged 35 to 49 years, while only 88 cases were recorded for persons aged 50 years and above.

In Negros Oriental, 52 cases have been recorded so far since 1984, with six deaths (four males and two females), according to Cristina Dagle, HIV-AIDS coordinator of the Integrated Provincial Health Office in the province.

She disclosed in the same forum that more than 600 Negrenses have availed of the mobile voluntary counseling and testing conducted in nine local government units in Negros Oriental.

Dagle disclosed that in April this year, the treatment satellite hub of the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital was finally given a permit by the national office due to a number of detected cases in the province.

Three of those identified are taking anti-retroviral drugs from the Vicente Sotto Hospital in Cebu.

Of the 52 cases in Negros Oriental, 27 are from Dumaguete City while 25 are come from the municipalities.

Dagle said the Dumaguete HIV-AIDS Council is intensifying the advocacy with advocates from the academe, non-government organizations and other partner agencies like the Department of Social Welfare and Development, with capability building sessions and slowly strengthening the care and support groups for HIV-AIDS clients. (PNA)
SCS/jfp/Juancho Gallarde

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