CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA)–The Department of Health (DOH)-10 together with the City Healthy Office (CHO) here and partner-agencies commemorated the International AIDS Day with candle lighting and prayer, May 16.
“We commemorate those people who died with HIV/AIDS, and celebrate those people who fight for the advocacy. The DOH, the CHO, and the CDO AIDS Council are doing their best to attend to HIV/AIDS-affected Filipinos knowing our city has a high-case rate. Even with the COVID-19 pandemic, we should not forget that HIV is still an epidemic,” said Enrique Niño Patricio, executive director Kagay-an Plus Inc. and operations manager of Oro Pia Community Center, a non government organization for people living with HIV based in Cagayan de Oro.
With this year’s theme, “We remember we take action, and we live beyond HIV,” the organizers aim to pay tribute to the men and women who take part in fighting the disease through proactive steps such as information drives, and social-psychological and medical support for affected individuals.
In line with measures taken under the prevailing conditions, the DOH ensures that the health services for persons living with HIV would go unhampered such as the delivery of medicines and Anti-Retroviral Drugs (ARDs) to their residences to protect them from COVID-19 due to their compromised immune system.
“Our government most especially the DOH, though swamped with COVID-19, still continues to give the needed support. In fact, our medicines have arrived and we ensure that these are delivered to the patients,” he concluded. (VPSB/PIA10)