Region 7, comprising the Central Visayas provinces of Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental and Siquijor, ranks 3rd among the regions in the Philippines with the highest prevalence of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This was disclosed by Fr. Rodolfo Cancino, Jr. MI, executive secretary of the Episcopal Commission on Health Care of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Tuesday morning at a symposium on HIV/AIDS in Dumaguete City for members of the clergy and religious of the Diocese of Dumaguete. Citing figures of the UNAIDS, the United Nations' program on HIV/AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome), on the prevalence of HIV positive cases, Fr. Cancino said the National Capital Region ranked first with 41 percent, followed by Region 4a with 15 percent and Region 7 with 14 percent as of 2013.

Other regions in the country had less than 10 percent HIV positive prevalence, according to the UNAIDS statistics. Region 7 is now a “hotspot,” with the total number of HIV positive cases from 2011-2013 having surpassed the total number of cases reported for the first 25 years since the virus was discovered, Cancino said. The youngest female patient that he had attended to was a 12-year old from Region 7 who died of complications from the virus because she failed to get an early diagnosis. Fr. Cancino disclosed the mother of the girl was pushing her into prostitution for their family's survival. The youngest male patient that Fr. Cancino knew in Region 7 is a 13-year old who was exposed to street prostitution. Also, the Philippines is among the seven countries in the world with the highest incidence increase of HIV positive cases as of last count at 25 percent, Fr. Cancino said, quoting the UNAIDS Global 2010 report.

The other countries are Armenia, Bangladesh, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajiskistan. Fr. Cancino said he doubts the UNAIDS goal of zero infection, zero deaths and zero stigma of HIV positive patients by 2015 can be achieved. In fact, the Millennium Development Goals of the country have shifted to Sustainable Development Goals which means just prolonging the timeline to 2030 instead of 2015, he added. According to the priest, who is also a medical doctor, a profile of HIV/AIDS cases in the Philippines at the end of 2013 showed that patients aged 1 to 59 were infected of the virus. Also, more males were infected than females and sexual activity was the primary mode of transmission of the virus, Cancino said. June 2014 marked the highest incidence rate with 19,989 cases reported and to get an estimate of the total with the unreported cases included, the total could swell to as four times the number, Cancino added. Many persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) suffer from stigma and discrimination and do not seek treatment despite the Philippine government giving it for free, the priest said. Fear is the leading cause of PLWHAs to shun away from the public, afraid that they are to be stigmatized and marginalized by society, according to Fr. Cancino. Because of this, HIV/AIDS is now considered the “modern day leprosy”, Cancino said, just like the lepers in the story of Jesus in the Bible, he added. Fr. Cancino explained that the challenge of HIV/AIDS now is that it is no longer a medical problem but a spiritual and social problem as well.

The role of the Catholic Church in helping prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS is to be kept abreast with and to understand the demand of discussing the problem that confronts the family, the church and society, specifically the youth. “Education is the best vaccine to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS”, Fr. Cancino said. HIV is not an illness but a virus, and it can only be transmitted in three ways, namely, through sexual activity, the use of injectable drugs by sharing needles, and maternal and child transfer. People infected with the virus do not die from it, rather, they die from complications such as tuberculosis and pneumonia, the priest said. He encouraged people living with HIV/AIDS to come out in the open and seek treatment, which government is giving for free. Secondly, they should be open to their families and friends so they can get more support and live life to the full. “Do not be afraid. The Lord is telling us not to be afraid,” he said. Fr. Cancino said there are 18 treatment hubs for HIV/AIDS patients all over the country, with one in Cebu City. People living with HIV/AIDS in Dumaguete City seek treatment in Cebu, he said. A cumulative report from the City Health Office in Dumaguete said that at least 37 people living with aids in Negros Oriental had been reported since 1990. (Judy Flores-Partlow/PNA)