ILOILO City – Alarmed by the continuing rise in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) cases in Western Visayas — particularly in Iloilo Province — the Department of Health (DOH) Region 6 has launched a coordinated, multi-sectoral response by convening the first meeting of the Western Visayas AIDS Council (WVAC).
The inaugural council meeting, held July 3 at J7 Hotel in Mandurriao district here, signals the regional office’s renewed urgency in addressing what health officials now call an escalating public health threat.
Data from DOH-6 shows Iloilo Province continues to top the region’s HIV list, recording 2,174 cases from 1988 to March 2025 — or 34 percent of the regional total.
From January to March alone this year, 111 new infections were documented, 40 of them in March. The province also logged 15 HIV-related deaths within the same quarter.
“We are at a critical juncture,” said Dr. Bea Camille Natalaray, Head of the Infectious Disease Section (IDS) and HIV Program Manager at DOH-6. “Our HIV response must evolve into something more strategic, more inclusive, and more sustained.”
Dr. Natalaray introduced the AIDS Medium-Term Plan during the meeting — a framework designed to guide interventions across prevention, testing, treatment, care, and support services.
She emphasized the plan’s alignment with Republic Act 11166, or the Philippine HIV and AIDS Policy Act, which mandates a strengthened, human rights-based approach to combatting HIV.
The council meeting, chaired by DOH-6 regional director Dr. Annabelle Yumang, brought together local government units, health professionals, community-based organizations, and other key stakeholders in a bid to synchronize regional efforts.
Interactive sessions were facilitated by Carlo Joseph Carillo, Nurse V from the IDS, who ensured technical coordination and guided participants in mapping out priorities.
Beyond coordination, DOH-6 is also intensifying its HIV prevention campaign by promoting the nationwide rollout of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis or PrEP.
Under the slogan “PrEP Up, Power Up Your Protection Against HIV!” the program allows individuals at higher risk of HIV exposure to access PrEP medication for free through DOH care facilities.
A bottle of PrEP, valued at P1,500, is now provided at no cost to qualified individuals — those who test negative for HIV but are sexually active, have a partner living with HIV with an unknown viral load, or are diagnosed with any sexually transmitted infection.
HIV primarily targets the immune system’s CD4 (T) cells, and if left untreated, progresses to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), leaving individuals vulnerable to life-threatening infections and cancers.
With the establishment of the WVAC and expansion of PrEP access, DOH-6 is reinforcing its commitment to building a more responsive, stigma-free, and community-driven approach to HIV prevention and care in Western Visayas./PN
