The role of the school in providing quality education is not limited to a classroom setting but it also takes responsibility in contributing to increasing the community’s awareness on health-related topics. Last February 13, 2024, Ms. Bernadette P. Egtapen, the BSMLS Program Chair & an HIV analyst was invited to talk about HIV AWARENESS on RNG’s Morning Balitaktakan. This formed part of the show’s Valentine celebration.
Ms. Egtapen provided a brief history of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and enlightened the audience of the difference between HIV and AIDS. Likewise, she described the different modes by which HIV is transmitted from one person to another. She also presented statistical information on the HIV-positive cases in CAR since 2022 as provided by RESU-DOH.
Ms. Egtapen also highlighted the discrimination received by people living with HIV / AIDS. She emphasized on the fact that people living with HIV have the same rights enjoyed by other individuals as governed by law. As part of the HIV awareness campaign, she provided information about HIV testing centers where clients can avail of free testing.
Meanwhile, the same TV program invited Ms. Kimwell S. Anague, the BSPT review coordinator and a clinical instructor at the UB Physical Therapy Center last March 18, 2024. Ms. Anague described the work of a physical therapist, the type of treatments which they usually employ, and also the type of patients which they cater to.
She also differentiated the treatments according to varying patient cases. The audience was likewise informed of how to get in touch with a physical therapist, most especially for home-based therapy.
This was the second appearance of Ms. Anague on Morning Balitaktakan as she was invited the previous year (October 19, 2023) to give a talk on the importance of exercise on an individual’s over-all health and the first aid treatment for sprain and strain.
Indeed, the university can rely on its roster of teachers to go beyond the academe and reach out to the community, providing information that will increase the society’s awareness and improve their over-all health.
Written by Teresa Villanueva
