An official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on Health Care has called on Filipinos to unite in the fight against HIV-AIDS.Father Dan Cancino, CBCP ECHC executive secretary, said this in a video message for World AIDS Day posted on the Facebook page of the Philippine National AIDS Council , Tuesday.“Continue to show support for them and commemorate those who have died because of the effects of HIV AIDS,” added Cancino.
“Make each and everyone of us a haven of love, a haven of peace, haven of care so that all those who were abandoned, those who are discriminated on account of this disease may feel that they belong to our hearts and to our family,” said Cancino. He said this means that the country is facing a public health threat which needs the continuing cooperation and collaboration of all local communities, civil society organizations, key populations at risk and the whole of government.
In October 2020, there were a total of 735 confirmed HIV-positive individuals. Ninety-six percent of whom were male.