Ni NOEL ABUEL
Ibinunyag ni Anakalusugan party list Rep. Michael Defensor na aabot na sa 610 buntis ay 236 na batang nasa 10-taong gulang ang tinamaan ng human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic.
Ayon sa kongresista, base sa datos ng National HIV/AIDS Registry, nakakabahala na patuloy na dumarami ang bilang ng mga Filipino na nabubuhay taglay ang sakit na HIV.
“The 236 children were infected via mother-to-child transmission,” ani Defensor, vice chairperson ng House House committee on welfare of children.
“In addition to the 236 children under 10 years old, nine other adolescents aged 10 to 19 years old were also infected via mother-to-child transmission,” dagdag nito.
Sa 610 buntis, na na-diagnosed na HIV-positive, sinabi ni Defensor na 52 porsiyento o katumbas ng 310 kaso, ay may edad 15 hanggang 24-anyos habang ang nalalabing 41 porsiyento o katumbas ng 248 na kaso, ay may edad 25-anyos hanggang 34-anyos.
“A mother living with HIV has a 15 percent to 45 percent chance of transmitting the infection to her child during pregnancy, labor, delivery, or breastfeeding, in the absence of intervention, such as maternal treatment,” ayon pa sa World Health Organization.
Sinasabing ang mother-to-child transmission ang isa sa dahilan upang kumalat ang HIV habang ang iba pa ay sa pamamagitan ng sexual contact, at paggamit ng gamit nang hiringgilya na ginagamit ng mga illegal drug users.
Tinukoy ni Defensor na dahilan sa pagdami ng bilang ng kaso ng HIV positive ay dahil sa COVID-19 pandemic.
Ayon kay Defensor, na tumatakbong alkalde ng Quezon City, nangako itong mas pahuhusayin ang public access sa HIV prevention, testing, at treatment services.
“We will increase the number of HIV treatment hubs in Quezon City. Right now, we only have six facilities providing HIV outpatient and inpatient care services,” sabi ni Defensor.
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