Total HIV cases in a month breaches 1,000 mark

By Charina Clarisse Echaluce, Manila Bulletin, Jul 25, 2017

The total number of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases reported in May has breached the 1,000 mark for the first time in the Philippine history, latest data from the Department of Health (DOH) revealed.

According to the HIV and AIDS Registry of the Philippines (HARP) report, there were 1,098 new HIV cases recorded in May, 2017.

“This is the highest recorded ever since 1984,” said the DOH report.

The May 2017 cases passed the previous high, which was 968 new cases in March 2017.

The total number of May 2017 cases was also 48 percent higher compared with what was recorded in the same period last year, which was 741 cases.

Meanwhile, of the newly recorded HIV cases, a total of 140 were full-blown acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) cases. There were also 15 deaths from HIV/AIDS reported in May.

Sexual contact continued to be the No. 1 mode of transmission with 1,068 cases; which were mostly from the male-having-sex-with-male population with 918.

Homosexual contact had the highest number with 558; It was followed by the bisexual contact with 360, and heterosexual contact, with 150.

On the other hand, a total of 27 injecting drug users were also recorded as transmitting HIV; and three cases of mother-to-child transmission.

Majority of the cases were from the National Capital Region with 404; followed by Calabarzon with 155; Central Luzon with 108; Central Visayas with 98; and Davao Region with 60.

Eighty four overseas Filipino workers also infected with HIV/AIDS. They were all infected through sexual contact.

For the first five months of 2017, the DOH already listed a total of 4,388 new HIV cases, 516 AIDS cases, and 187 deaths.

Since 1984, there are already 44,010 HIV cases, 4,181 AIDS cases, and 2,156 deaths recorded in the country.