By U.S. News Agency / Asian

Health officials in South Cotabato confirmed Thursday another positive case of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in the province, bringing the total number of cases in the area to five.

HIV is a virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or AIDS, a condition that causes the immune system to fail and leads to death.

Jose Barroquillo, coordinator for HIV/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) of the Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO), said they were closely monitoring the status of the province’s latest HIV victim, who was reportedly a resident of Lake Sebu, South Cotabato.

He said the victim was recently transferred to Koronadal City to facilitate treatment and regular monitoring by IPHO personnel.

In the last three years, Baroquillo said the province already monitored at least five HIV/AIDS cases.

He said the HIV/AIDS victims were from Koronadal City and municipalities of T’boli, Lake Sebu and Tupi.

Based on the IPHO’s records, a confirmed HIV/AIDS case was monitored in 2008 in Tboli town and three more were added to the list in 2009.

But Baroquillo said their records showed that the four previous HIV/AIDS victims already died due to some complications.

“Most of them were men who have had sex with multiple partners,” he said.

Baroquillo said their evaluation showed a steady increase of HIV cases in the province and with one confirmed case reported every year.

He said they observed that most of the HIV victims were from the hinterland areas of South Cotabato who had worked in urban areas as sex workers and later came home later on for medication.

Baroquillo said the mode of HIV transmission was predominantly heterosexual but cited that the trend had been shifting to bisexual mode or specifically with “males having sex with males” or MSMs.

“Most of the victims are the young and the restless males aged 20 to 29 years old,” he said.

Baroquillo said the IPHO and the provincial government had been focusing their attention on the capability building of health workers as part of efforts to establish case-finding teams and monitoring systems.

He said they had launched regular information and education campaigns on HIV/AIDS among high school and college students in the area.

Baroquillo said the IPHO conducted orientations for barangay inspectors who attend to the weekly checkups of women sex workers.

He also said that the municipal governments had also created advocacy teams to push for the provision of condoms in some establishments, especially hotels, motels and lodging houses.