(L-R) Wilfredo Salgado Jr., Provincial Health Office focal person on HIV; Greggy Senados of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in the Philippines; and Cebu City Health Office HIV focal Person Ilya Tac-an discuss the current state of HIV in Cebu / CDN PHOTO.ROSALIE ABATAYO
Cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (Aids) in Cebu continue to increase with male to male sexual intercourse and those who share needles in illegal drugs use as the most common cause of infection, said Wilfredo Salgado Jr., Cebu Provincial Health Office focal person on HIV.
Cebu City also continues to have the most number of recorded cases totaling to 533 HIV and 53 AIDS cases or around 69 percent of the total number of cases in Cebu province.
The Cebu Provincial Health Office (PHO) recorded more than 800 HIV and 72 Aids cases in 2017.
PHO only recorded over 600 HIV and around 90 Aids cases in 2016.
Dr. Ilya Tac-an, the Cebu City Health Department’s HIV focal person, said the increase resulted from their massive campaign to encourage those with suspected HIV and Aids cases to have themselves tested for proper intervention.
Tac-an said that a person found to be infected with HIV is advised to undergo Anti-Retroviral Therapy to reduce the virus load on his body.