As the world commemorated the World AIDS Day, an official of the Catholic Church’s health ministry has called for more concerted effort to combat HIV and AIDS and eliminate prejudice and stigma surrounding it.
Camillian Fr. Dan Cancino, executive secretary of the Episcopal Commission on Health Care, said that cooperation is crucial to address all issues concerning the illness.
“Let us unite ourselves in this fight against this dreaded disease,” Cancino said in a message for World AIDS Day.
He said that the event is also an opportunity for people worldwide to show support for people living with HIV, and remember those who have died.
“Continue to show support for them and commemorate those who have died because of the effects of HIV and AIDS,” the priest said.
The Department of Health said that an average of 21 new HIV cases are reported in the country every day.
According to the agency, the country has recorded 81,169 HIV and AIDS cases from January 1984 to October 2020.
World AIDS Day is observed each year on December 1. Started in 1988, it was the first-ever global health day.
