Manila – The Department of Health (DOH) has dispatched five HIV viral load testing machines to medical facilities across Eastern Visayas, as part of a larger initiative aimed at curbing the spread of the human immunodeficiency virus in the region.
According to a news release by the Philippines News Agency, the machines have been distributed to Leyte Provincial Hospital, Eastern Visayas Medical Center, Biliran Provincial Hospital, Northern Samar Provincial Hospital, and Samar Provincial Hospital.
These machines are capable of conducting tests using reverse transcription and real-time polymerase chain reaction technology, which can detect both HIV-1 and HIV-2 viruses. This distribution comes as part of the National HIV, AIDS and STI Prevention and Control Program (NASPCP) and aims to facilitate more efficient and extensive viral load testing for individuals living with HIV. According to Andrade, the new equipment will help clinicians monitor and manage patients' responses to treatment more effectively.
Andrade also stated that the donation aligns with the national government’s objective to meet the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS targets of 95 percent diagnosis, 95 percent treatment, and 95 percent virally suppressed cases. From 1984 to 2022, the Eastern Visayas region has recorded an estimated 2,600 individuals living with HIV, of which only 1,554 have been diagnosed.
HIV attacks the body's immune system and currently has no cure. AIDS refers to the final stage of HIV infection, characterized by symptoms and illnesses that can be life-threatening.