Pasay reports 30 new HIV/AIDS cases

MANILA, Philippines - At least 30 new cases of HIV/AIDS were recorded in Pasay City from January to March this year, an official said yesterday.

City health officer Dr. Joan Carlota Ranieses said most of those infected are male, aged between 25 and 34, and sex is still the top mode of transmission.

She said the city health office is continuously reaching out to residents through regular lectures in barangays and workplaces.

Ranieses said they regularly provide clubs and other entertainment establishments with information materials on sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and how to prevent them.

A city ordinance requires all entertainers and others with similar occupations to attend awareness seminars on AIDS and STDs before they are issued mayor’s permits and occupational health permits, the city health chief said.

The ordinance also requires them to undergo an examination for STDs every two weeks at the city health department’s social hygiene clinic.

The city government’s anti-AIDS campaign is in line with Mayor Antonino Calixto’s drive to promote Pasay as the country’s entertainment and leisure center.

The Department of Health reported last year that the cities most at risk for the spread of AIDS were Manila, Pasay, Quezon City, Cebu, Davao and Angeles City.