HIV rising rapidly in Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections recorded in the Philippines have broken from a 20-year low to a rapidly spreading disease, particularly in Cebu, Davao and Manila, a new report by the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) revealed over the weekend.

The report titled “HIV in Asia and the Pacific: Getting to Zero” cited HIV prevalence among people who inject drugs in the city of Cebu accelerated rapidly from 0.6 percent to 53 percent in just two years, between 2009 and 2011.

In Manila and again Cebu, HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men is now estimated up to 5 percent.

This is in complete contrast to what is happening across Asia and the Pacific.

Although an estimated 4.9 million people were living with HIV in the region in 2009 – a figure that has remained relatively stable since 2005 – a significant 20 percent decline in new infections was seen between 2001 and 2009 from 450,000 to 360,000, the report said.

Cambodia, India, Myanmar and Thailand have reduced their HIV infection rates significantly with intensive, wide-reaching HIV prevention programs for people who buy and sell sex.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has expressed concern over the alarming rise in HIV cases in the country. –ROY C. MABASA and CZARINA NICOLE O. ONG, Manila Bulletin