Aside from COVID-19, there is another pandemic that is raging in the Philippines. It is the pandemic of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) which have increased by 200 percent between 2010 and 2018, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
There is however good news about the problem. The United States Embassy in the Philippines said on Thursday that the US Agency for International Development (USAid) and the President’s Emergency for AIDS Relief (Pepfar) will partner with the Philippine Department of Health to end the HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) epidemic in the country.
While there is no available cure for HIV/AIDS, numerous advances in medical science have led to stronger prevention and treatment for people living the with disease and Filipinos at risk for it. These include tenofovir, lamivudine and dolutegravir (TLD), medications recommended by the WHO for the treatment of HIV/AIDS.
In addition, the USAid and partners have also launched QuickRes.org, a website that allows clients to easily book health services such as HIV testing and treatment in the Philippines.
Accordingly, because it has fewer side effects compared to other and earlier treatment modalities, TLD is now considered gold standard in HIV treatment.
Already tested successfully in 20 countries in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean, all these augur well for the intention to end the epidemic in the Philippines.
