A Safer Philippines From HIV

Amid the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, other diseases seemed to be forgotten and ignored.

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is one of the most common disease not only in the Philippines but in the whole world.

The Department of Health (DOH) reported that from January-March this year, 2,818 Filipinos have been newly diagnosed with HIV. People aging 25-34 years old has the highest with 1,359 and followed by 15-24 years old with 834.

Thus, the first ever Philippine National HIV Prevention Month (NHPM) kicked off on Friday, July 31 to bring the whole country and its citizens safer from the harm brought by the said disease.

NHPM is set annually on the month of July and it supports Proclamation No. 971, which was signed last June 23, declaring the second week of July as Infection Prevention and Control Week.

Dubbed as “SaferNow,” this year’s celebration follows the new HIV combination prevention concept including the different effective ways to prevent HIV. Condoms, lubricants, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), and antiretroviral treatment as prevention (TasP) are all part of HIV prevention.

Meanwhile, the month-long celebration will highlight the HIV prevention methods through the “SaferNow” campaign.

July 31 – Kick-off and Launch of the NHPM 2020 and the “SaferNow” Campaign

August 8 – Condoms and Lube Day

August 15 – PrEP and PEP Day

August 22 – Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U) Day

August 29 – Culmination Activity

The NHPM is spearheaded by the Sustainability of HIV Services for Key Populations in Asia Program and the Champion Community Centers network and is supported by UNAIDS Philippines, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations, APCOM, and LoveYourself, Inc. (MLC)