BAGUIO CITY (PIA) - - The City Government of Baguio through the City Health Services Office, in partnership with the Pilipinas Shell Foundation conducted  a  HIV Program Implementation Review with members of the local AIDS Watch Council (AWAC) to enhance its performance.  

 The three- day (November 23 – 25) activity included a briefer on the national, regional and Baguio City HIV/AIDS situationer; presentation of the current HIV policies and guidelines of the city which include AO 2022 – 0035 and the local STI (Sexually Transmitted Infections), HIV/AIDS ordinance.

Reporting on the HIV/AIDS situationer; Assistant City Health Officer Dr. Celiaflor Brillantes affirmed that HIV infection remains to be a health concern with increasing newly diagnosed cases especially among the younger age bracket and in the MSM (men having sex with men) group.

 This is why we have this activity that aims to strengthen public and private partnership in strengthening the HIV/AIDS program implementation, especially in terms of increasing awareness on prevention, screening and treatment, Brillantes explained.

The three Department of Health – accredited HIV Care Clinics in the city namely the HSO – Reproductive Health and Wellness Center (RHWC), the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center and the Notre Dame De Chartes Hospital also provided updates.

Michelle Dominique Garcia of the City HSO – RHWC shared that for this year, the country logged 42 new diagnosed HIV cases. In Baguio City, there are 549 HIV cases recorded as of Sept. 2022 since monitoring started in 1994.

Garcia reiterated the importance of public – private partnership to ensure the success of HIV program implementation in Baguio especially on screening as though an increasing cases may be alarming, each newly diagnosed individual, is a life that can be potentially saved with the presence of free services and anti -retroviral treatment available.

 The event participants were also engaged for a SWOT (Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Treats) Analysis on HIV program implementation in Baguio and in the drafting of the implementing rules and regulation of the local STI and HIV/AIDS ordinance.

The Baguio City AWAC is the first DOH – acknowledged local AIDS Watch Council in the country and is already institutionalized through a City Council ordinance. It is composed of government agencies/institutions and private sector organizations with the City HSO – RHWC as secretariat. (JDP/CCD-PIA CAR)