HIV/AIDS victims commemorated in Int’l AIDS Candlelight Memorial

The lives of the thousands of Filipinos who have died of complications from HIV/AIDS were remembered on Monday during the observance of the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial.

At a ceremony organized by the Philippine National AIDS Council in Manila, families and friends offered flowers in tribute to their deceased loved ones Messages of solidarity and support were also sent to People Living with HIV (PLHIV).

Families and friends offer flowers to loved ones who passed away due to HIV/AIDS, at the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial ceremony organized by the Philippine National AIDS Council at the Swiss-Belhotel Blulane in Sta. Cruz, Manila on Monday, May 22, 2023. Giselle Ombay

In his opening remarks, Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Enrique Tayag called on the nation to break the stigma of living with HIV/AIDS and ensure that those affected by HIV/AIDS received the love and support they deserve.

“Each person living with HIV is an individual deserving of empathy, compassion, and respect. We must embrace them as our neighbors, friends, family members, removing barriers of stigma and fear that still persists,” he said.

Based on the DOH’s latest data, there were 2,078 confirmed HIV-positive individuals reported in the Philippines in March 2023. This was 35% higher compared to the same period last year.

There are 114,008 confirmed HIV cases reported to the HIV/AIDS and ART Registry of the Philippines (HARP) since the disease was first detected in the country in 1984.

Of this number, 6,474 have died, including 57 who reportedly died in March 2023. — BM, GMA Integrated News