BAGUIO CITY, (PIA)— The Department of Health in the Cordillera region has launched a localized and culurally-sensitive program to fight HIV-AIDS.

The program, called Project Namnama, will be the banner program under the National AIDS, STI Prevention and Control program. 

DOH CAR HIV/AIDS regional program manager Darwin Francisco Babon said Project Namnama is a comprehensive initiative designed to address the unique challenges posed  by sexually transmitted infections(STIs), and HIV in the Cordillera.

Namnama  – an Ilokano word which means hope, desire or wish – was adapted as an acronym which stands for “nurturing awareness, mobilizing networks, and advocating  to mitigate” the impact of AIDS in the Cordillera. 

It is aimed to mitigate the impact and reverse the trend of HIV-AIDS epidemic,  and decrease the number of  STI (sexually-transmitted infection) cases in the region through holistic awareness, community mobilization, advocacy for human rights, and strategic partnerships in the region, Babon said.

The Cordillera region faces distinctive socio-cultural and geographical factors that contribute to the prevalence of STIs and HIV. Project Namnama recognizes the need for localized and culturally sensitive approaches to address challenges effectively, Babon explained.

Among the strategies include aggressive health promotion and awareness campaigns in various settings in schools, communities, and workplaces;  strengthening  of online health promotion through social media, radio, and television;  STI, HIV-AIDS prevention activities in  geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas,  and  empowering local health and community leaders like barangay officials, the youth, and barangay health workers to lead the fight against HIV-AIDS.  

As of August 2023, the total number of cases in CAR reached 1,034 since 1984, with 91 new cases recorded from January to Aug. 2023. There were 61 HIV-related deaths, seven of them from January to August last year.

Of the 77 cities and municipalities in the region, 62 or 81 percent  recorded HIV cases. Baguio City is the most affected area with 60 percent of the cases. 

Alongside the health promotion and awareness campaign, the DOH CAR also  continues to  strengthen the health system and referral network. It recently endorsed the Benguet General Hospital in the official list of DOH-certified HIV treatment facilities in the country.

 “Join us in this journey and together let’s build a safer and healthier Cordillera,” Babon said. (MAWC-PIA CAR)