Philippines Sees 665 New HIV Cases in March
MANILA: – Around 665 fresh cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) were reported in March, the highest in the country since the first case came to light in1984, the Department of Health (DOH) has revealed, indicating that the number is expected to rise in May.
DOH identified the regions with the highest number of reported cases for March 2015. They include National Capital Region (293) — Region 4A (92), Region 7 (68), Region 3 (57); and rest of the country (157), reported Rappler.
In February, DOH reported a total of 646 cases of HIV infections. This translates to 21 new infections every day, according to Dr Jose Gerard Belimac, program manager of DOH’s National HIV/STI Prevention Program, the report said.
The health department identified the six cities, and their corresponding prevalence rate among males who have sex with males (MSM). They include Quezon City (6.6 percent), Manila (6.7 percent), Caloocan (5.3 percent), Cebu (7.7 percent), Davao (5 percent) and Cagayan de Oro (4.7 percent), it was pointed out.
In a 2014 report, the United Nations AIDS Organization sounded the alarm on the HIV/AIDS epidemic concentrated in three highly urbanized areas: Greater Metro Manila Area, Metro Cebu, and Davao City. These areas, including Angeles City, are the “highest priority areas for HIV intervention,” the report was quoted as saying.
“Unlike in other parts of the world, the AIDS epidemic in the Philippines has been growing rapidly,” the report further noted.
One of the highlights of the report is that there is a concentrated epidemic among males who have sex with males (MSM) and people who inject drugs (PWID). Also, since 2008, cases among males who have sex with males (homosexual and bisexual) started to shift the tide from transmission through heterosexual intercourse, the report said.
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) was quoted as saying by Rappler that the Philippines will not meet the HIV/AIDS targets in the 2015 Millennium Development Goals.