ILOILO CITY, Iloilo, Philippines — The Department of Health (DoH) office in Region 6 said recently that the total number of persons afflicted with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in Western Visayas has grown to 206, with 44 new cases of the disease recorded this year.

DoH – 6 coordinator for sexually-transmitted infectious diseases, Charity Yanson-Perea said the number of cases may be higher but because some people who are affected with the dreaded disease are afraid to come out in the open, their affliction is left undiagnosed and unrecorded.

In the region, Iloilo province has the most number of HIV/AIDS cases, with 70 infected persons and 17 deaths recorded. Negros Occidental comes with second, with 59 HIV/AIDS cases and 14 deaths.

The provinces of Aklan, Antique, Capiz, and Guimaras also have HIV/AIDS infected persons.

Yanson-Perea noted that 98 percent of HIV/AIDS infected persons acquired the disease through sexual intercourse and the remaining 2 percent through blood transfusion.

Meanwhile, health workers and health organizations here commemorated World AIDS Day Thursday, December 1.

With the theme “Getting to Zero,” this year’s commemoration focused in said workers and organizations calling for the government to step up its campaign by increasing domestic spending on health and HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programs. They also urged the undertaking of collective action in the effort to prevent the further spreading of HIV/AIDS.

In aggregate terms, the Philippines has a total number of 7,684 HIV/AIDS cases recorded between 1984 until September 2011.