Official calls for creation of AIDS support group

With the increase in the number of people infected with HIV in the Northern Marianas, a public health official has sought the creation of a support group that will assist in carrying out an island-wide information campaign about the dangers of HIV/AIDS.

Although many people are aware of the dreaded disease, Elsie Ramon, manager of Communicable Disease Program, lamented that a great number still practice unprotected sex.

“It is very unfortunate that people do not realize that once you get it in your body, you will have it forever. It is a lifetime suffering. Now, we have to shift gear in our approach,” she said.

The Department of Public Health said there are already 33 residents that are suffering from HIV or full-blown AIDS and estimates that there could be 300 more unreported cases.

DPH Secretary Joseph Kevin Villagomez has earlier thrown his support to the establishment of a center for people with AIDS or infected with the virus.

This is similar to the concept now being implemented in neighboring Guam. Mr. Villagomez has suggested to the local AIDS Council to look at the facility in Guam and learn how it can be applied to the CNMI.

Ms. Ramon heads the four-man team that handles the HIV/AIDS campaign in the CNMI. Other members are Bill Macaranas, outreach worker; Mary Muna, social worker; and Mike Manglona, community volunteer.

While they have been successful in increasing the awareness of the people in the community, Mr. Macaranas said the campaign still has a long way to go. “There are still many people out there who believe that by touching the hands of someone with HIV, they will get infected,” he said.

Last Saturday, the team from the communicable disease program met with students, mostly from Marianas High School, to show them some video campaign materials and spoke to them about the disease that is threatening the community.

DPH is currently busy providing training to community members in Saipan, Rota and Tinian to help them with their work. Currently, only Ms. Ramon and Cassandra Ely from the Red Cross are certified HIV/AIDS trainors on the island. So far, they have certified 12 trainors in Tinian and expect to certify 24 more in Rota.

With the alien health screening program which mandates the HIV testing of non resident workers, the department’s job has somehow become easier in tracking down people infected with the AIDS-causing virus.

Despite assurance that their identity will remain confidential, Ms. Ramon said many locals are still scared to undergo HIV testing because of the fact that this is such a small island where most of the people are related to one another. They also feared about the stigma attached to the disease.

“We really hope that they would utilize the services available and get proper treatment if they are tested positive of the virus. Otherwise, we might see an increasing number of cases,” she said.