UP Manila Oblation Run highlights HIV awareness

MANILA, Philippines — The increasing cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) took center stage in the annual Oblation Run held at the University of the Philippines in Manila yesterday.

Members of the UP Manila chapter of the Alpha Phi Omega (APO) fraternity ran naked around the campus calling for collective effort to address the problem.

“We all have a role to play in properly educating the public about HIV/AIDS. First and foremost, we must break the stigma surrounding sex and reproductive health and the stigma on people living with HIV/AIDS,” the group said.

“HIV/AIDS is a persistent threat to our communities, especially to the youth who make up majority of newly diagnosed cases,” it added.

The group noted that 35 Filipinos test positive for HIV every day, a dramatic increase compared to just one per day in the previous year.


“In July 2019 alone, 1,100 new cases were recorded by the Department of Health. Almost 20 percent of the new cases have advanced stage of HIV infection or AIDS,” it added.

The United Nations Program on HIV-AIDS (UNAIDS) earlier projected that there there will be 201,000 HIV cases in the Philippines by 2025 if the current rate is not abated.

“UNAIDS considers the HIV/AIDS situation in the country as the fastest-growing epidemic in the world,” noted the fraternity.


HIV screening booths were set up at the UP Manila campus in time with the Oblation run.

The annual Oblation Run, officially called the Ritual Dance of the Brave, is a tradition started by APO in UP Diliman in 1977 as a form of dissent against martial law.

source: philstar.com

Miley Cyrus raising money for HIV charity

LOS ANGELES -- Pop star Miley Cyrus is releasing a MAC Viva Glam lipstick next year and all the money from sales of the cosmetic will got to the MAC AIDS Fund to help HIV sufferers.

The 'We Can't Stop' singer has teamed up with the cosmetic company to bring out her own branded lipstick in early 2015.

"Going #VIVAGLAM with @MACcosmetics. Look for my lipstick in early 2015 ... Every dollar from the sales of my #VIVAGLAM will go to @MACAIDSFund to help those affected by HIV! (sic)," she posted in Twitter.

The MAC AIDS Fund's mission statement is "to serve people of all ages, races and sexes affected by HIV/AIDS. We fund bold, visionary and brave trailblazers determined to end the epidemic".

source: interaksyon.com

China reports 70,000 new HIV infections in 9 months

BEIJING -- China reported some 70,000 cases of new HIV infections in the first nine months of the year, bringing the total number of people living with HIV/AIDS to 434,000, the country's health authority said Sunday.

From January to September, 80.7 million people received tests for HIV, an increase of 8.9 percent from the same period last year, said a National Health and Family Planning Commission statement.

A total of 3,413 anti-virus treatment organizations have been set up in 31 provincial-level regions. As of the end of September about 209,000 people were receiving therapy.

China tested 7.43 million pregnant women for HIV/AIDS in the first nine months of the year to prevent possible mother-to-child transmission, the statement said.

source: interaksyon.com