ILOILO City – Confronted with the continuing rise of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections in Western Visayas, the Department of Health (DOH) is shifting its advocacy toward a more aggressive, rights-based, and community-centered strategy under the 7th AIDS Medium Term Plan.
Rather than focusing solely on clinical interventions, DOH is expanding its work on the ground — bringing prevention tools to vulnerable communities, strengthening detection systems, and reinforcing local governance structures to sustain long-term HIV response.
“As the DOH champions comprehensive prevention and care, our approach now emphasizes five strategic pillars: Prevent, Detect, Protect, Strengthen, and Sustain,” the regional office said, highlighting that HIV response must be multipronged to keep pace with the evolving epidemic.
HIV weakens the immune system and can develop into AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) if untreated. It is transmitted through unprotected sex, shared needles, and mother-to-child transmission.
It cannot be spread through casual contact. Early diagnosis and adherence to modern antiretroviral therapy allow people living with HIV to remain healthy and significantly reduce transmission risk.
Expanding Prevention and Testing
To curb new infections, DOH Region 6 is rolling out Combination Prevention Stations offering Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), particularly for key populations at highest risk. These stations are designed as accessible hubs for prevention information, testing, and treatment.
The region is also implementing Expanded HIV Opt-out Testing in designated facilities to ensure more individuals learn their status early.
To widen public awareness, DOH-6 is pushing information campaigns on social media through “visually engaging cards” and reproducing IEC materials to counter persistent misinformation about HIV.
Strengthening Detection and Treatment Capacity
The HIV AIDS Healthcare Provider Network in Western Visayas has grown to 25 treatment facilities and 10 certified rHIVda confirmatory laboratories, ensuring quicker and more accessible testing.
Case managers are now being deployed across HIV facilities “to improve patient management and treatment adherence,” while healthcare workers undergo continuous training to sharpen their skills in HIV diagnosis and care.
Protecting Rights, Fighting Stigma
In partnership with the IDEALS Protects Upscale Project, DOH-6 is documenting human rights violations experienced by people living with HIV.
Educational orientations on Republic Act 11166, the Philippine HIV and AIDS Policy Act, aim to empower both healthcare providers and communities by reinforcing that stigma and discrimination have no place in health service delivery.
Building Local Structures for Long-Term Response
Regional and Provincial/City AIDS Councils are being organized or reactivated to ensure local governments are aligned with RA 11166 and the national medium-term plan.
The DOH said technical assistance will be provided “to secure funding and resources necessary to close existing gaps in HIV program implementation.”
World AIDS Day: Call for Compassion and Accountability
During DOH-6’s World AIDS Day commemoration on December 1, participants honored lives lost to HIV and reaffirmed the region’s commitment to a stigma-free response.
The event highlighted the “urgent need for intensified prevention, accessible testing, and respectful healthcare,” as emphasized by Rodolfo B. Chin Jr.
Dr. Bea Camille F. Natalaray also presented the Enhanced Guidelines for workplace HIV/AIDS policies.
The commemoration called on communities to “protect health rights and uphold dignity,” urging collective responsibility in building a future free from HIV-related deaths.
The DOH-6 stressed that only a sustained, community-driven, and rights-based approach — one that prevents new infections, detects cases early, protects vulnerable individuals, and strengthens systems — will ensure Western Visayas moves closer to ending the HIV epidemic./PN
