Philippines among 8 countries with most HIV cases

MANILA, Philippines – Dr. Eric Tayag, chief of the Department of Health (DOH) National Epidemiology Center, said the number of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases reported daily shoot up to 16 cases from only 12 cases in 2013.

Philippine National AIDS Council notes that because of the ongoing escalation of number of people getting infected with HIV, the Philippines is one of the eight countries with most cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases. According to DOH, HIV cases are projected to hit 32,379 by the end of the year.

For the month of June alone, DOH reported 494 new HIV cases- the highest number in a month since the first case was reported in 1984. About 84 percent of the new HIV cases were from the National Capital Region, followed by Calabarzon, Central Visayas, Central Luzon and Davao.

Four-hundred-fifty-nine of the new cases were acquired through casual, unprotected sexual contact; the rest are through needle-sharing among injecting drug users.

It was also identified that men having sex with men is the leading sector for the transmission of disease.

According to DOH data, a staggering number of 66 people died from the disease this year; 63 were males and eight deaths from the total number were for the month of June alone.

A total of 19,330 HIV cases were reported since the government started monitoring them in 1984. Of the 19,330, 2,956 were OFWs.

Meanwhile, DOH is planning programs and solutions to minimize the spread of HIV infection. The assistant secretary said that they have composed a list of 75 priority areas nationwide to which the HIV intervention will be of priority. There is also a P308-million budget to alleviate HIV cases, P11 million of which will be used to purchase condoms, for 2015. –Alixandra Caole Vila (philstar.com)