Mindanaotoday.com | Take the booster, HIV patients told
By: Uriel Quilinguing
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – An official of the City Health Office in Cagayan de Oro urged all persons diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to avail of Covid-19 vaccine booster shots, aside from antiretrovarial therapy (ART).
“You belong to the vulnerable sector because you have comorbidities,” said CHO Medical Officer Dr. Teodoro Yu Jr. during the 39th International Candlelight Memorial rites at the City Amphitheater last Sunday, May 15.
On behalf of Mayor Oscar Moreno, the chairperson of the Local AIDS Council (LAC), Yu said those who had the first booster – after the primary series of first and second jabs – must avail of second booster shot.
Last week, the City Hall announced that all persons with comorbidities may avail of second booster shots to boost their immune system against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) because the efficacy of vaccines would wane after three months.
Other than the vaccine, threats from Covid-19 variants of concern remain, hence Cagayan de Oro is still under Alert Level 1 until the end of the month.
“I have seen HIV-AIDS patients with my very own eyes, including Sarah Jane (Salazar),” Yu recalled his much earlier exposure at the San Lazaro Hospital in Manila, including those brought to Bahay Kalinga and AIDS Pavilion.
Meanwhile, Jackie Ver (not his real name), who heads the Northern Mindanao AIDS Alliance (NORMAA), advised all his “brothers” to strictly follow the ART – medicines given free from global health initiatives and the Department of Health.
Ver, in a testimony at the IACM, said he had a host of symptoms, tested HIV positive, and confined in hospitals five years ago, but the virus became “undetectable” two years ago and credited this to the ART.
Also at the IACM, Social Welfare Officer Grace Dael of the Department of Social Welfare and Development Region 10 said 102 HIV-infected persons have availed of psychosocial support and financial assistance from their office since January 2021.
Dael, DSWD-10 focal person on HIV/AIDS, told Mindanao Today they have disbursed a total of P803,500 for food, medicine, education, livelihood, and transportation, as well as for funeral and burial expenses directly given to PLHIVs or to family members (in case of death).
In her closing remarks, Fritzie Caybot Estoque, who led the Misamis Oriental Cagayan de Oro AIDS Network (Mocan) for 20 years or so, said many people did not have access to screening and testing the past two years because of the pandemic.
Estoque said that for every 10 people infected with HIV, only eight knew of their status while the other two were not aware they have the virus, apparently referring to the World Health Organization 2020 report.
The WHO reported only 84% of people worldwide with HIV knew their status while the remaining 16% still need to access testing and health services.
The annual IACM as well as the World AIDS Day in December have been organized by MOCAN with over 20 affiliate organizations and agencies of government.
With MOCAN relentless lobbying at the City Council, Ordinance No. 11195 was enacted in 2008, which expressed city government’s concern for persons living with HIV and support for information, education and communication campaign (IEC).
This enabled the CHO secure annual budget for HIV testing and sexually transmitted infection diagnosis.
Dubbed as City AIDS Ordinance, it was in compliance to Memorandum Circular No. 2013-29 of 2013 of the Department of Interior and Local Government, stipulating representation from PLHIV group and HIV-AIDS advocacy focal person in the LAC.