It's World AIDS Day today December 1,2012.
Let us all commit to Getting to Zero: Zero new HIV infections. Zero discrimination. Zero AIDS related deaths".
Let's Celebrate the Life of those we have lost to AIDS and strive for a Zero HIV/AIDS World.
If we stand together WE Can Beat The Disease....
Powerful and highly recommended for every Filipinos to watch to make people realize that We are living with HIV & AIDS, and that the current situation is really serious...
So it had been six months since Love Yourself's inception.
Currently the Philippines HIV/AIDS incidence is at an all-time high with 212 HIV cases for November 2011 alone, 2,081 from Jan-Nov 2011, and a cumulative of 8,096 cases since 1984 up to Nov. 2011. of the 212, 61 are among ages 15-24 years old, of the 212 reported cases, 199 are males(Source: National Epidemiology Center AIDS Registry as of November 2011).
Our group has a long way to go and a tough battle ahead of us.
And today, we lost an HIV-positive client in his teenage years because of related complications. He had tested with us just last Dec 11, but as he waits for the confirmatory results, his condition worsened brought about by an opportunistic infection which eventually led to his untimely death. Our colleague one of the Love Yourself member who was his counselor during the testing had been helping him and his family from the confirmatory process up to the burial preparations.
The death of one of our clients is indeed very sad and heartbreaking... we grieve... but, this day marks not just a loss for us...
We should recognize that this is NOT A LOSING BATTLE.
As long as there are people who dare to care and share;
We come together to stand and fight against the disease... let us use this feeling of sadness and turn it into a renewed fire for our cause...
As long as there are people dying of HIV... Man, Woman & child... our advocacy will not stop! Let us keep that fountain of love, that dares us more, to show people how much we care..
Awareness and action is the key. And out there, everyone's concern & help matters, starting with loving oneself.
FOOT NOTE; Some parts are quoted from Vinn one of our founders/Princess
AIDS Chief and Health Sec. Enrique Ona jeered by HIV and AIDS activists and people living with HIV and AIDS by Jonas Bagas on Saturday, December 3, 2011 at 11:01am
Health Secretary and AIDS Chief Enrique Ona was booed and jeered at the Plenary Meeting of the Philippine National AIDS Council (PNAC) yesterday, December 2, 2011, after he practically endorsed a witch hunt of ‘homosexuals’ as an HIV testing strategy to address the growing HIV epidemic in the Philippines. (See video
Around 30 HIV and AIDS activists from organizations belonging to the Network to Stop HIV and AIDS in the Philippines (NSAP) jeered Ona and blew their red whistles, demanding that Ona exercise political leadership as chair of PNAC.
In reaction to the growing infection among men who have sex with men and transgenders in the Philippines, Sec. Ona proposed that the government’s interventions must be targeted, suggesting that parents should be contacted and asked if they have homosexual children and be told about their children’s ‘problem’.
He proposed the same strategy for 'drug addicts'.
His proposal, premised on the flawed notion that informed consent is a hindrance to an effective and targeted response to the epidemic, reflects a complete rejection of evidence-informed and human rights-based strategies that are stipulated the Philippines AIDS Medium Term Plan and endorsed by the World Health Organization.
PNAC was discussing the adoption of the UN Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS when Sec. Ona raised his stigmatising proposal. Ironically, the Declaration itself strongly opposes stigmatizing and discriminatory interventions towards key populations like men who have sex with men and transgenders, drug users, and sex workers.
During the plenary meeting, the issue of the funding cut due to the Global Fund cancellation was likewise raised. In the past years, the Global Fund accounted for 60% of the total AIDS spending in the country. NSAP earlier warned that the funding cut would lead to the downscaling of at least 50% of prevention, treatment, care and support services.
Sec. Ona reiterated his position that the current amount of spending by the national government is enough, despite reports that attribute the rising HIV infections to the insufficiency of HIV services. He said that to make the response more effective, it has to be more targeted, thus the proposal to utilize parents to identify and reach these key affected populations.
He said that the funding gap that the Global Fund would leave behind should be covered by local governments. When asked about the counterpart from the national government, he just ‘noted’ the inquiry, indicating his unwillingness to invest on HIV and AIDS services. He likewise compared AIDS with other non-communicable diseases like renal diseases and simply brushed aside recommendations for bigger public spending from the national government on HIV and AIDS.
NSAP’s member-organizations are pushing for the establishment of an Emergency Fund for HIV and AIDS to prevent the cutting down of HIV and AIDS services that have become all the more important due to the growing epidemic. From January to October 2011, the Philippines has reported 1,869 new cases of HIV, overtaking the total figure for 2010, which was 1,591. The Philippines is one of the only seven countries worldwide that failed to halt or slowdown new HIV infections. The network also called for the creation of a Special Task Force on HIV and AIDS to address the gap in the political leadership.
Postscript: Last time I checked were in 21'st Century Philippines not 1600's SALEM.... This is so sad.
OK! I just graduated as a bona fide HIV/AIDS counselor courtesy of The Love Yourself Organization in cooperation with the Department of Health. Initially I only intended to be a Peer educator but of course I in my usual stubborn self-had to go deeper and be a counselor at that.
While driving home last night I get to thinking of the responsibility that had been anchored in my shoulders and I kinda felt anxious at the same time fearful of what lies ahead in the new role I am assuming , that of an HIV/AIDS counselor.
In training one is given scenarios and situations to role play when faced with individuals that will undergo HIV/AIDS Testing, Hard really at the same time very emotionally draining but still at the back of my head I'm still thinking that it’s just role play and that the person I'm talking to are my classmates in training, not actual people living with HIV so generally in hindsight was kinda easy as I am a Drama Queen personified.
But now it’s actually sinking in my psyche the probable scenarios that will happen in real life when I assume the hat of a full pledge counselor.
December 11, 2011 is a day I dread at the same time really excited about. This will put me to the test, and will put to good use the training I got as an HIV/AIDS counselor. I will be one of the counselors in an HIV Testing center/Social Hygiene Clinic in Quezon City.
Afraid because I am praying that the training I had would suffice for me to do the work without mistakes and help the individuals to cope with the situation they are in. I don't really have a clue what is going to happen but I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that I would have the strength and the will to tide this over and see it through without me making an ass of myself.
I know sometimes I could be really condescending and judgmental, but as I learned from our training that one just have to let go of one's biases and embrace ones humanity to feel and be able to empathize. One also has to leave all the excess baggage’s and face the work head on armed with compassion and determination to do it right.
This is so new to me but I am very happy to say that the people I met and forged friendships along the way during my peer Ed. training up to the Counselors training would be there with me to face this. I also know that what I am doing is for the greater good and hope that someone up there would be on my side hopefully when I finally embark on this journey.
So what happens now? I really don’t know but with you know who's help and with my new friends in tow this is going to be good.
