BUTUAN CITY -- The Department of Health (DOH) Caraga intensifies its campaign against discrimination and implementation of programs intended for those persons living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV-AIDS).

According to DOH-Caraga regional director Dr. Cesar Cassion, in year 2015, there were 954 total cases of HIV-AIDS recorded in Caraga region and another 111 cases in 2021, based on the results from the testing centers in the region.

“We are actually advocating for more individuals to undergo testing to know our status. We won’t know until we have our blood tested for this. We already have satellite hubs here in Caraga like the Butuan Medical Center (BMC), Agusan del Sur, Bislig City, and Surigao City, where they can go and have their blood tested,” said Dr. Cassion.

The government is continuously looking into the needs of those infected with HIV-AIDS, and provide them the necessary treatment through our many programs on HIV/AIDS. 

“Part of our advocacy is for people to know about HIV-AIDS so that they will also know that we already have retrovirals, that they can be treated already compared to the previous years wherein many died due to lack of treatment of the said disease. This time, we have developed medicines that’s why we see HIV patients who are still alive until now,” Cassion added.

Dr. Cassion further stressed that the government maintains to uphold confidentiality of these people with HIV-AIDS, so their identity will be protected and prevent them from the stigma of having the disease.

“We should lessen the stigma associated with HIV-AIDS. That’s what we really want to see among our citizens realizing that these people are still part of our community, and they’re even very productive in terms of contributing to the overall development of our society,” said Dr. Cassion.

Meanwhile, the different sectoral groups also called on the general public to support this advocacy campaign and prevent discrimination on people living with HIV-AIDS.

“Instead of being reactive to HIV situations, let’s be proactive in helping them; in reaching them out because they really needed our support,” said Frank Nicol Megar, public relations officer of SM City Butuan. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)