KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato (PIA) -- South Cotabato's record of persons living with HIV (PLHIV) is increasing, John Arlo Codilla, infectious disease program coordinator of the Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) confirmed. 

Codilla, however, clarified that the increase is because the province has beefed up its activities to find those infected by the viral disease. 

"In South Cotabato cases are increasing because we have active case finding," Codilla said during the provincial government's Hinun-anon sa Kapitolyo Program last week. 

Citing data from the Department of Health's Epidemiology Bureau, he said, the province, currently, has 855 confirmed HIV. The number, he pointed out, excludes newly screened, newly diagnosed, and cases tested outside South Cotabato. 

Most of these cases are recorded in the province's most populous local government units: Koronadal City with  338 cases and Polomolok with 59 cases. 

Codilla explained that South Cotabato's efforts to find those affected by the disease have been "rigid" with the infectious disease cluster visiting communities daily for this purpose.

"We are also being augmented by a team from an NGO, Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc., that help us offer counseling and testing services to most at-risk population and key affected population," he said.

At-risk and vulnerable to HIV-AIDS include male having sex with male, sex partners of infected individuals, people in prostitution, and heterosexuals who have already been exposed to multiple sexual partners. 

The infectious disease cluster and the partner NGO also include schools and youth population in the HIV-AIDS counseling and testing activities. 

The health official also noted that besides the efforts of the infectious disease team, individuals are encouraged to undergo HIV-related counseling, testing and management because all services of the province's HIV treatment facility are free. 

It also helps that people are aware of such services, that there are a number of testing facilities in the province, and that there are community-based interventions in place, he said. 

Codilla underscored that the increasing number of PLHIV in South Cotabato is being addressed with "multiple interventions and multi-dimensional interventions," including promotion of safe sex and safer sex, behavior change for adolescents, and parental guidance.   Condom-use program is only third in the list of priority of interventions, he said.  

Codilla reported in the same press conference that most PLHIVs in the province are within the age brackets of 25 to 34 years and 15 to 24 years. The oldest PLHIVs here are 11 senior citizens. (PIA SOCCSKSARGEN)