ERASING the social stigma associated with HIV-AIDS and convincing people to get tested are just two of the challenges facing medical authorities in reducing the number of cases in the country, a local official said.
During the program ‘Ang Inyong Konseho Karon’ hosted by the Cagayan de Oro City Information Office, Councilor Maria Lourdes Gaane said HIV-AIDS cases in the city and elsewhere in the country are under reported due mainly to the reluctance of patients to undergo testing in order to verify their condition.
“It’s alarming for me as a doctor to hear that HIV AIDS cases (in the city) are (under reported) due to the (social stigma) still associated with the disease. People who may have HIV-AIDS (are reluctant) to disclose and that’s the problem. So we have to work on (greater) public understanding and acceptance of (these patients),” said Councilor Maria Lourdes Gaane.
Gaane, who chairs the City Council’s health committee and is vice-chairperson of the City AIDS Council, said HIV-AIDS positive patients cannot infect other people through simple physical contact such as touching except through intimate sexual contact and use of needles used by HIV infected persons.
“Before tuberculosis patients were also discriminated and shunned by society but not anymore because the disease eventually become treatable. The problem with HIV-AIDS is that there’s still no cure but there are treatments. So what we’re asking from the public is to know your lifestyle and get tested (if necessary),” Gaane said.
A motorcade that starts at the Rodelsa Circle at 8 am on Friday, Dec. 1, kicks off the local observance of World AIDS Day, Gaane said.
“The motorcade ends at the Limketkai Mall and will be followed by a 10 am Mass. We’ll be having Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials as speakers since the youth are one of the vulnerable age groups,” she said.
Guest speaker will be Dr. David Mendoza, local health support division chief of the Department of Health (DOH-10) regional office.
“At 1 pm there will be four activities to be held, one of them being a meeting with HIV-AIDS positive patients, a blood-letting activity conducted by the Philippine Red Cross, HIV testing and counseling. All of these are free for the public,” Gaane said. (Stephen Capillas of City Information Office)
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