PALO, Leyte — The Department of Health in Eastern Visayas is alarmed by the increasing number of confirmed People Living with HIV amid lack of treatment hubs and primary care clinics to serve the individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus.

The DOH regional office turns its attention to the local government units in the region to open its doors as it wants to decentralize access to HIV treatment care and support services.

The Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unite of DOH-8 shows 20 new confirmed cases in the region in August 2022, the highest number of HIV cases recorded in a single month since 1984 when the first case was recorded.

The 20 new cases bring the total number of HIV cases in Eastern Visayas since 1984 to 1,536. The region has also documented a total of HIV-related deaths, three of which were recorded in August 2022 alone.

RESU records also show that the 20 cases in August is 150 percent higher than the cases recorded in July 2022 and 60 percent higher than the cases of the same time period of the previous year.

On the other hand, the DOH-8 says there are only 12 HIV Treatment Hubs and one Primary HIV Care Clinic (PHCC) in the entire region, "all of which are affected with high patient load due to the alarming trend of cases for HIV in Eastern Visayas."

"With this, the National HIV, AIDS, and STI Prevention and Control Program (NASPCP) of the region is calling for support from the LGUs in our call of decentralizing access to HIV treatment care and support services," the DOH-8 said in a statement.

Analiza Balila, NASPCP regional coordinator, said that while there remains no cure to HIV infection, increasing the access to HIV prevention, diagnosis, care, and treatment for opportunistic infections and advance AIDS condition, the infection will become a manageable chronic health condition, enabling people living with HIV to lead long and healthy lives.

""This process provides accessibility, a system, and a mechanism to ensure a well-coordinated delivery of comprehensive services not only in the provision of the clinical case but also in support and prevention services, hence cutting the stigma on HIV," Balila said.