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Friday, March 29, 2024

#BitB: PH’s first HIV/AIDS game app launched

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By Dence Benedito

The World Health Organization (WHO) has invited the HIV Gaming, Engaging and Testing (HIV GET) project team to present and launch the advocacy gaming application at the 22nd International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The conference is happening today (July 23, 2018) and will run until July 27.

The team is set to have several series of activities such as panel discussions and a game challenge using BitB as a tool for raising awareness, prevention, education and advocacy at the Global Village. 

In terms of promoting the game and raising awareness about the HIV/AIDS, it will be the team’s first time to represent the country in an international conference said by scientist and principal investigator of ‘Battle in the Blood’ (BitB), Dr. Emmanuel S. Baja.

BitB's scientist and principal investigator Dr. Emmanuel S. Baja

With the epidemic trend showing a high rate of cases among the youth, young conference participants will be recruited as contents to play the game.

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Dr. Godofreda Dalmacion shared in an interview that she has a 23-year-old patient, who suffers from a full-blown AIDS and is sexually active at such young age. 

The advocacy game, in which according to Baja took two years of pilot study and development, targets mainly adolescent (aged 10–19) and young adults (aged 20–24).     

By BitB, Dalmacion stressed that while playing the game, they [users] will feel empowered and educated in the prevalence of HIV/AIDS.

With the team’s intent to increase the uptake of HIV testing and treatment in the country, a list of treatment and testing centers are also provided in the game and about 3,000 people worldwide mainly from the Middle East, Canada, Singapore, Brunei, China and United States have downloaded BitB according to Baja. 

The HIV GET Project team, ensured that the segment  of the population at risk of acquiring for the deadly virus, particularly men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender (TG) women, enjoyed and felt comfortable playing the game. 

Battle in the Blood was officially launched in Davao City last Dec. 1, 2017 in celebration of World AIDS Day and is funded through the Newton-Agham Grant of the United Kingdom’s Medical Research Council and the Department of Science and Technology’s Philippine Council for Health Research and Development.

It's also the first game to address the barriers to HIV testing and counselling (HTC) in the Philippines.

BitB is available for free at Google Play for Android users and Apple store for iOS users.

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