Kailangan ng kalinga: OWWA urged to act as OFWs with HIV breach 8K mark

By Billy Begas

The cumulative number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has surpassed the 8,000 mark.

Anakalusugan Rep. Mike Defensor on Sunday said that 83 more OFWs were added to the list in June. OFWs diagnosed with HIV is now at 8,081.

“There were 382 OFWs found HIV-positive from January to June this year, up 52 percent from the 250 cases reported in the same semester in 2020,” Defensor said.

The 382 OFWs diagnosed with HIV in the first semester of the year are 6.3% of the 6,043 newly confirmed HIV cases in the country.

Of the total 8,081 OFWs, 87% or 7,045 cases, were male with the median age of 32 years. The 1,036 females had a median age of 34 years.

An overwhelming majority of the OFWs in the registry were found infected via sexual contact, mainly male-to-male sex.

The OFWs account for 9.2% of the 88,108 total cases listed in the National HIV/AIDS Registry as of June.

Defensor reminded the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) that it is duty-bound to provide adequate care and support for OFWs living with HIV.

“Under the AIDS Prevention and Control Law of 2018, the OWWA is expected to provide a stigma-free comprehensive reintegration program for OFWs living with HIV, including economic, social, and medical support for them, regardless of their employment status and stage in the migration process,” Defensor explained.

HIV causes the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), which destroys the human body’s natural ability to fight off all kinds of bacterial, viral, and fungal infections.

While HIV still does not have any known cure, sustained antiretroviral therapy (ART) can keep the virus suppressed if diagnosed early, according to the Department of Health (DOH).

A total of 51,129 Filipinos living with HIV, including 11,778 cases with advanced infection, were undergoing ART as of June.

Meanwhile, 308 Filipinos died of AIDS-related illness in the first semester of 2021, raising to 4,806 the cumulative deaths since 1984.

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Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)