THE Sangguniang Panlalawigan urged all local government units to organize Local Aids Councils to raise awareness and educate individuals to avoid Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) infection.

In an interview, Board Member Raul Sison, author of the resolution, said, there must be local councils in each town and city in the province with corresponding budget that would enable them to focus on HIV/AIDS prevention and control similar to illegal drugs.

“The increasing number of HIV-AIDS cases in the province is already alarming, Sison said.

In Region 1, there are 696 cumulative HIV cases from 1984 to 2016. Pangasinan has the highest number with 341 full blown AIDS, La Union with 130 cases, Ilocos Sur 89 and Ilocos Norte with 50 cases.

Eight of the top ten municipalities with high number of HIV cases are in Pangasinan:  (1) San Fernando City, (2) Dagupan City, (3) Urdaneta City, (4) San Carlos City, (5) Bauang, Laoag, (6) Lingayen, (7) Villasis, (8) San Juan, (9) San Fabian, Bayambang, Binmaley, (10) Vigan.

He said there could be more affected but are not yet reported because they are ashamed to come out.

He said the provincial board’s Committee on Health will conduct hearings to formulate legislation to address the problem on HIV/AIDS in Pangasinan.

DOH data reveals that 46% of the positive cases were acquired through homosexual contact, 31% through bisexual contact, 22% through heterosexual contact, and other transmission modes are through pregnancy from mother to child, blood transfusion and sharing of needles in injecting drugs.

Further, that 60% of the positive are 15 to 25 years old.

Dr. Ceilo Almoite, provincial health officer 1, said they have only the figures of the HIV/ AIDS cases. The personality of the infected individuals remains confidential.

Data from the DOH HIV/AIDS situation in the Philippines in the prevention and control update shows that the Philippines is one of the top 3 countries with increasing number of HIV cases with 34, 999 reported cases from January 1984 to June 2016, with 26 new cases a day.

Almoite said the 300 plus full blown cases in Pangasinan are being treated with anti-retroviral for free at DOH’s treatments hubs but they are not confined but their activities are closely monitored.

Meanwhile, Sison opposed the planned distribution of condoms to schools as a means to prevent spread of HIV-AIDS.

“It will give the wrong impression to students that it’s okay to have pre-marital sex to anyone as long as you use condom,” he added. (Tita Roces/Nora Dominguez)

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