Makati Medical Center has been treating individuals diagnosed with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) through the Center for Tropical & Travel Medicine (CTTM). Today, CTTM’s services could not be more relevant. Since the first reported case of HIV in the Philippines in 1984, the incidence of the disease has shot up dramatically—and continues to do so despite the decline in HIV cases and AIDS-related deaths worldwide. Last October, the Department of Health (DOH) reported a total of 29,079 HIV infections—6,552 of them diagnosed within the first 10 months of 2015. At the rate HIV cases are being reported—one every hour, according to the DOH—the number could reach 133,000 by 2022.
Transmitted through blood and bodily fluids during sexual contact, infected needles from drug use, breast milk, and pregnancy, HIV weakens the immune system, rendering an individual vulnerable to a host of life-threatening diseases.
“To adequately address the volume of HIV patients, MakatiMed dedicated itself to training its medical team and upgrading its facilities,” says Janice Caoili, MD, Head of CTTM. It turned to the Department of Health (DOH) to request antiretroviral (ARV) medication, which strengthens the immune system and prevents HIV from progressing to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Recognizing MakatiMed’s invaluable contribution to the treatment of HIV, the DOH declared the private hospital as the very first hospital-based HIV Treatment Hub in 2010.
MakatiMed went a step further and opened its Center for Tropical and Travel Medicine (CTTM) in 2013. The CTTM is a legacy of the late Vilma Co, MD, an Infectious Disease specialist and former head of Makati Med’s Infectious Diseases section, who was instrumental in the creation of the facility. Today, her dream has become a reality. Employing a holistic approach to the treatment of patients with tropical diseases such as malaria, and sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV, CTTM offers expert diagnosis, laboratory testing, treatment, education, and counseling, as well as vaccinations and medical prophylaxis for travel-related diseases and advice on health risks related to travel.
CTTM also assists financially challenged individuals with HIV and AIDS by helping them file PhilHealth requirements to avail of Outpatient HIV and AIDS Treatment (OHAT) packages. CTTM also regularly offers free and confidential HIV screening. It first offered free testing in April 2014, in celebration of its founding anniversary.
CTTM encourages those who receive a positive result to seek further treatment to get back to living a healthier life. “New and improved antiretroviral therapy now gives HIV patients better control of the virus, which makes them live longer and enjoy an improved quality of life,” says Dr. Caoili. Meanwhile, counseling for both the patient and his or her family helps all involved understand the condition and cope with the fears, anger, and other emotions that result from the diagnosis. “Acceptance somehow eases the burden of the stigma and allows everyone to move forward,” she says.
For as long as they take their medication daily and visit their doctor for scheduled checkups, people living with HIV can exercise regularly, eat a balanced diet, spend time with family and friends, stay engaged with the world, and even practice safe, protected sex—just like any healthy individual.
“People need to know that HIV is not necessarily the ‘death sentence’ it was decades ago,” says Dr. Caoili. “With the proper diagnosis, treatment, and support from professionals and loved ones, it can be managed.”
02 888 8999; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; www.makatimed.net.phhttp://www.mb.com.ph/understanding-hiv/
