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For the past three decades, a killer has been on the loose.

That killer is AIDS. It seems that in some areas Jacksonville is snuffing it out.

So far this year, no HIV positive babies have been born to mothers who carry the virus, said Max Wilson, program administrator for disease control at the Florida Department of Health in Duval County.

Thats an accomplishment, considering that about 20 years ago that number was in the teens, he said.

We had between 80 to 100 infants exposed to HIV this year, Wilson told me. None have HIV zero for 80 isnt too bad.

And the rate of HIV among black women in the area is declining.

Seven years ago, we saw that rate climbing, but now were in the second year of declining HIV rates for African-American women, Wilson said. Theyve had a lot of conferences, a lot of awareness campaigns We think thats made a difference.

AWARENESS IS LACKING

Unfortunately, awareness campaigns still struggle to pierce the consciousness of black men and teenagers when it comes to being on guard against HIV.

For the men, its about stigma. They dont want to face the fact that theyre having sex with men. But for young people, HIV has an accomplice: sexualized images and perceptions that HIV is no longer a threat. It is.

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AIDS remains a killer in many communities

IN BAGUIO City, we often observe December 1 with a program wearing red ribbon that symbolizes the fight and continuing advocacy against the spread of the dreaded human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). I remember being actively involved with the Baguio AIDS Watch Council (AWAC) led by its founding President Dr. Charles Cheng who effortlessly devoted time and resources to let people understand the importance of prevention and early diagnosis once detected. With his recent demise leaving stalwart advocates like Dra. Celia Brillantes and Dra. Marie Apolinar among the active anti-AIDS crusaders, I encourage volunteers to join the Baguio AIDS Watch Council for a more participative and vigorous campaign that is aimed at protecting the citizenry from AIDS.

HIV-AIDS remains as one of the world's most significant public health challenges, particularly among developing countries. Before she finally succumbed to the dreaded virus, we once interviewed Sarah Jane Salazar who candidly revealed the typical life of a former sex worker who are the most prone to acquire and likely to spread the virus.

According to the World Health Organization, close to 10 million people in 2012 underwent antiretroviral therapy among low- and middle-income countries. The WHO also released a set of normative guidelines and provided support to countries in formulating and implementing policies and programmes to improve and scale up HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services for all people in need.

Other than what I learned from the Baguio AWAC such as the ABCs of AIDS prevention, here are 10 basic facts from WHO that we should know about HIV-AIDS; HIV infects cells of the immune system. Infection results in the progressive deterioration of the immune system, breaking down the body's ability to fend off some infections and other diseases. AIDS (Acquired immune deficiency syndrome) refers to the most advanced stages of HIV infection, defined by the occurrence of any of more than 20 opportunistic infections or related cancers.

HIV can be transmitted through unprotected sexual intercourse (vaginal or anal) or oral sex with an infected person; transfusions of contaminated blood; the sharing of contaminated needles, syringes or other sharp instruments; the transmission between a mother and her baby during pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding.

More than 35.3 million people are currently living with HIV, and 2.1 million of these are adolescents (10-19 years). All adolescents are vulnerable to HIV due to the physical and emotional transitions, and potentially heightened risk-taking behaviour, inherent to this period of life. The vast majority of people living with HIV are in low- and middle-income countries. An estimated 2.3 million people were newly infected with the virus in 2012 HIV as per WHO records is the worlds leading infectious killer. An estimated 36 million people have died so far and 1.6 million people died of HIV/AIDS in 2012.

In August 2013, the United Nations (UN) expressed alarm over the increasing number of HIV and AIDS cases in the Philippines. Of the 14,025 cases since 1984, 1,289 have become full-blown AIDS and there were 431 new cases of HIV in June, bringing to 2,323 the number of new cases since January 2013 and to 14,025 since the disease was detected in 1984. The head of the Philippine National Aids Council (PNAC) said during the forum with UN officials that the council needs more funds for AIDS prevention through its education and awareness campaign. There are several ways to prevent HIV transmission. Key ways to prevent HIV transmission is to practice safe sexual behaviors such as using condoms, get tested and treated for sexually transmitted infections including HIV and by avoid injecting drugs. If you must use injections, always use new and disposable needles and syringes and ensure that any blood or blood products that you might need are tested for HIV. For added information, you can check out the website initiated by the group of Dra. Celia Brillantes atwww.bonjing.org,ph and sign in to join the discussion forum. The sites aim is to provide information on sexual and reproductive health of young people through the electronic inquiry (internet) in the city of Baguio. Specifically, the websites objective is to further provide a venue for young peoples expression of their sexual and reproductive issues and concerns, to create a certain health-seeking behavior among young people, to gather frequently asked questions (FAQ) among the young people in the city, to have a baseline information on the needs of the young people in the schools, to be able to establish IEC strategies particularly through the internet, drop box and YP Hotline that will be conveniently and comfortably addressing their sexual and reproductive issues and concerns and finally to be able to improve the health services towards a youth friendly services in the health facilities in the city.

Published in the Sun.Star Baguio newspaper on December 04, 2013.

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Tibaldo: Let’s Help Revitalize the Baguio AIDS Watch Council

David Kwiatkowski sentenced to 39 years for infecting patients with hepatitis C (Reuters)

A hospital worker who deliberately infected patients with hepatitis C and was responsible for the death of at least one of them has been jailed for 39 years.

David Kwiatkowski worked as a cardiac technologist in 19 hospitals in seven states before he was arrested in 2012.

The 34-year-old stole painkillers and infected dozens of patients in a number of states with the virus which he carried in his bloodstream. The virus damages the liver and authorities said that it played a part in one woman's death. The relative of another victim called him a serial killer.

He told the court in New Hampshire that he stole painkillers and replaced them with saline-filled syringes tainted with his blood.

Since his arrest, 46 people have been diagnosed with his strain of hepatitis C.

Before he was sentenced, Kwiatkowski apologised to his victims and said his crimes were a result of his addiction to painkillers and alcohol. He said he had been stealing drugs since 2003 and syringes since 2008.

He was hired at the New Hampshire Exeter Hospital in 2011. Before that, he had moved between hospitals despite being fired four times for allegations of drug use and theft.

I hate myself

"I don't blame the families for hating me," he said. "I hate myself. There's no excuse for what I've done. I know the pain and suffering I have caused."

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'Serial Killer' Hospital Worker David Kwiatkowski Injected Victims with Hepatitis C

Nigeria today joins the rest of the world to mark the World's AIDS Day. It is important to remember that the giant killer still devours many Nigerians. Indeed, the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) has raised the alarm that the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in the country does not encourage complacency on the part of government at all levels in the country. However, NACA said that, nationwide, HIV/ AIDS prevalence stabilised around 4 per cent, even as about 12 states carried a higher burden of the virus. The agency also pointed out that Nigeria was still behind the target in several important indicators: It is estimated 217,148 Nigerians died from the ailment in 2011 alone. About 3.4 million Nigerians were living with HIV, while 388, 864 people were newly infected by the virus in that year.

NACA noted that donor agencies' funding accounted for about 75 per cent of the expenditure in 2011. There was a prediction that new cases may rise in Nigeria as a result of rapid population growth, judging from recent increases in the spread of the virus in Mozambique and Tanzania. What this means is that the federal government and the 36 states and Abuja accounted for about 25 per cent of the HIV/AIDS campaign funds. Meanwhile, to keep pace with current spending, NACA stressed that about $30 billion is required by 2031. Judging by the lethargy on the part of governments in Nigeria, we are tempted to ask: where will this money come from?

It seems the HIV/AIDS campaign has been infected with the Nigerian disease: corruption. When was the president, Obasanjo once lamented that the federal government had pumped in more than N16 billion into the campaign with nothing to show for it. The reason then - and now - was that the campaign attracted a lot of pretentious attention from fraudsters who floated non-governmental organisations with the sole aim of cornering the budget with no plan whatsoever of making any move towards combating the pandemic. And these NGOs are run by elements who allegedly collude with the agency itself to track the funds as they come in.

But HIV/AIDS can be anybody's disease. Even those who play smart with funds meant to fight its spread are not excluded. It is like a man who tosses a stone up in a market; it may land on the head of his mother.

As the world marks this day set aside to draw everyone's attention to this virus that is threatening humanity, we urge government at all levels in the country to take the issue of funding more seriously. It should monitor funds' disbursement and use so as to ensure that the target segment of the populace benefits from them. Corrupt elements should have no hand in the campaign.

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Nigeria: HIV/Aids Still On the Rampage

Due to the increasing number of HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)-AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) cases in the country, a lawmaker is calling on Congress to review the Philippine AIDS Prevention Control Act of 1998.

Gabriela party-list Rep. Luz Ilagan said Congress should take a second look at Republic Act 8504, attributing its weak implementation to the rising incidence of the global killer disease.

That is what we have been warning all along. Unless the government is serious about sexuality education, massive information campaign, these numbers will continue to rise, she said in an interview.

The AIDS law should be reviewed.The implementation is weak, she pointed out.

The Department of Healths (DOH) Philippine HIV and AIDS Registry recorded a total of 491 HIV/AIDS cases in October 2013, 66 percent higher than the 295 cases in October 2012. This is the highest ever recorded in a month in the country.

Ilagan even asked the DOH to ensure that health centers should have the necessary supplies, including the much-needed retrovirals.

More importantly, supplies should be available in health centers. The DOH should have budget for retrovirals, she said.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, who expressed his readiness to undergo HIV-AIDS examination said it would be better if countrys leaders, including lawmakers would submit themselves to a voluntary HIV-AIDS testing among national leaders to raise awareness against the fast and furious type of epidemic.

It is a good idea if the national leaders would undergo voluntary HIV-AIDS testing. I think its just an add on in a regular blood test, so pagnagpa-regular check up papagawa din [so if you go on a regular check up, you can always have an HIV test], he said in an interview.

RA 8504 or the Philippine AIDS Prevention Control Act of 1998 does not provide the mandatory HIV-AIDS testing.

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Review of AIDS law urged