(PAGASA 24-HOUR PUBLIC WEATHER FORECAST as of Wednesday, 24 April 2024) Easterlies affecting the country. Butuan City, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur will experience Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms due to Easterlies/Localized Thunderstorms. Possible flash floods or landslides during severe thunderstorms. 𝗙𝗒π—₯π—˜π—–π—”π—¦π—§ π—ͺπ—œπ—‘π—— 𝗔𝗑𝗗 π—–π—’π—”π—¦π—§π—”π—Ÿ π—ͺπ—”π—§π—˜π—₯ π—–π—’π—‘π——π—œπ—§π—œπ—’π—‘: Light to moderate winds coming from East to Southeast will prevail with slight to moderate seas (0.6 to 2.1 meters).


Friday, May 20, 2022

DOH Caraga intensifies programs for persons living with HIV-AIDS

By Jennifer P. Gaitano

BUTUAN CITY -- The Department of Health (DOH) Caraga intensifies its campaign against discrimination and implementation of programs intended for those persons living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV-AIDS).

According to DOH-Caraga regional director Dr. Cesar Cassion, in year 2015, there were 954 total cases of HIV-AIDS recorded in Caraga region and another 111 cases in 2021, based on the results from the testing centers in the region.

“We are actually advocating for more individuals to undergo testing to know our status. We won’t know until we have our blood tested for this. We already have satellite hubs here in Caraga like the Butuan Medical Center (BMC), Agusan del Sur, Bislig City, and Surigao City, where they can go and have their blood tested,” said Dr. Cassion.

The government is continuously looking into the needs of those infected with HIV-AIDS, and provide them the necessary treatment through their many programs.

Cassion
“Part of our advocacy is for people to know about HIV-AIDS so that they would also know that we already have retrovirals, that they can be treated already compared to the previous years wherein many have died due to lack of treatment for the said disease. This time, we already have developed medicines that’s why we’re still able to see those people with HIV until now,” Cassion added.

Dr. Cassion further stressed that the government maintains to uphold confidentiality of these people with HIV-AIDS, so their identity will be protected and prevent them from the stigma of having the disease.

“We should lessen the stigma associated with HIV-AIDS. That’s what we really want to see among our citizens realizing that these people are still part of our community, and they’re even very productive in terms of contributing to the overall development of our society,” said Dr. Cassion.

Meanwhile, the different sectoral groups also called on the general public to support this advocacy campaign and prevent discrimination with people living with HIV-AIDS.

“Instead of being reactive with the situation in HIV, let’s be proactive in helping them; in reaching them out because they really needed our support,” said Frank Nicol Megar, public relations officer of SM City Butuan. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)

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