DOH holds HIV convention in Naga

By Jason B. Neola

NAGA CITY --- The Department of Health in the Bicol Region, in coordination with the city government of Naga, last Tuesday, Sept. 25, held a regionwide convention on human immunodeficiency virus awareness (HIV) at the Naga Regent Hotel here.

Ma. Grace E. Guevara, a medical technologist at Social Hygiene Clinic of the City Health Office here, said the activity, attended by some 500 health workers from different LGUs of the region, served as facility to help the participants to engage in the nationwide prevention and control program against acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and sexually transmissible infection (STI).

“The conduct of the convention along with other government intervention hoped to make the goal of making AIDS campaign extensive in the entire region,” says Guevara.

Groups from all over the region who attended the HIV Advocacy Convention learned from lectures on Brahma Kumaris (Spiritual Values, Freedom & Responsibility), Psychological Impact of HIV to stop stigma and discrimination, adolescent high-risk behavior and its implications and other related matters.

Guevara said the topics tackled during the convention aimed to help the participants develop certain approaches to strengthen the campaign against HIV and other STI-related diseases, the stigma that they create, and incidents of discrimination arising from having acquired the disease.

“The convention organizers and participants were also looking towards finding effective interventions to slow down the spread of HIV infection, if not totally eliminate or contain them,” she added.