Closing The Gap

Addressing the Problem of Accessible HIV/AIDS Education with Klinika Bernardo (Quezon City LGU)

Context: AIDS in the Philippines

Since the first recorded cases of HIV in the Philippines in 1985, the number of HIV cases in the country continues to grow at an exponential rate, with a 418% increase in new HIV infections since 2010. This runs counter to the decreasing global trend of new HIV infections, which has been on a decline since the 1980’s.

The government then passed RA 11166 in 2018 which sought to address “critical bottlenecks” facing the HIV programmes in the Philippines under RA 8504. Better access to free medical treatment and specific provisions providing HIV patients with a special package in the country’s Universal Health Care are just some of the changes brought about by the law .

(Tanggol, 2019) (Tan et al.1989) (UNAIDS, 2023)

Klinika Bernardo

In 2013, Ordinance No. 2249, S-2013 was passed under the 19th Quezon City Council in response to this alarming growing record of HIV cases in the Philippines. Through it, Klinika Bernardo was established.

Klinika Bernardo is the first ever social hygiene clinic (SHC) that caters mainly to MSM (male having sex with males) and TG (transgender women). SHCs are clinics that specialize in the detection and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV-AIDS. Klinika Bernardo operates beyond typical office hours to accommodate individuals who may be taking extended or night shifts: Monday to Friday, 3 PM to 11 PM. Klinika Bernardo cooperates and collaborates with various institutions to fulfill its mission. The clinic conducts regular consultations with community-based organizations to gather information on HIV and AIDS.

Majority of Klinika Bernardo’s potential clients are found through online means (ex. Dating apps).

The Challenge

The HIV/AIDS epidemic is affecting younger and younger populations. Many of which can be reached online.

Klinika Bernardo lacks communication and educational tools in order to reach these younger populations.

Reaching a solution

Klinika Bernardo already had experience engaging in digital programs and tools.

Reaching patients through online resources provides the benefit of easier distribution and increased privacy, as opposed to physical copies of these resources. Additionally, 40% of Klinika Bernardo's clients come from outside QC; having resources that are easier to distribute caters do this demographic.

Initial iterations of this solution involved a collection of various sources of information and compiled research that the group would deem relevant to students and potential HIV/AIDS patients. While this version of the solution would offer more recent and increased information, the team aimed to narrow the scope of the content.

Upon further consultation with the stakeholders, it was discovered that simply making the educational material more accessible was not enough on its own to suit their concerns and needs.

(J. Ruiz, personal communication, April 24, 2024)

The Solution:

Collating Klinika's physical resources (and more) and making it available online

Klinika Bernardo Website

HIV/AIDS Information

Basic information such as symptoms, transmission, prevention, and the country’s HIV/AIDS statistics will be made available. This information is found in the Informational Booklet.

Patient Rights

A briefer on patients rights will be included, most especially those concerning confidentiality, a primary concern amongst patients. This information is found in the Informational Booklet.

Contacting the Clinic

Basic information about Klinika Bernardo, including location and operating hours, contact information, and a link to its Facebook page. An emphasis is put on the clinic being run by the Q.C. LGU, meaning all services are free.

Feedback Mechanism

Users will be able to provide their input on the website. This feedback mechanism was integrated into the proposal per the direction of a clinic health worker, who expressed its importance.

Clinic Services and Treatments

Other than displaying all of Klinika Bernardo's available services, it will delve into the process of testing and treatments such as Antiretroviral Therapy, and the steps needed to maintain health while living with HIV/AIDS.

Full PDF of Informational Booklet

This gives users a more complete and comprehensive set of information. It will also allow users to view the activity pages of the booklet, which they may find an engaging way to test the knowledge that they acquired.

Working with Klinika

This solution was refined and approved through personal onsite communication with staff from the clinic, namely from interviews with team managers, nurses, and doctors.

The team ensured that all of the included information was already publicly available and overseen by Klinika Bernardo in partial collaboration with DepEd.

The clinic was excited at the idea of the website, and is equipped with the prior experience and project managers to sustain a project like this.

Evaluation Criteria

Upon approval of the website and its contents by the clinic, work is still needed to implement it. As this solution is only a prototype, a better constructed website should be used that would be capable of handling the traffic the website might receive.

Success in this challenge would entail the website's distribution in Klinika Bernardo's future projects, most particularly those in educational institutions.

Project Manager: Lian Laya Leonen-de VelaResearch Manager: Julian BautistaCollaboration Director: Jeremiah RemolloPublic Relations: Juan Diego NeryDocumentor: Bianca Leocadio

Page updated

Report abuse