HIV Cases Nears 30,000 Mark
The number of HIV cases is nearing the 30,000 mark, the Department of Health warned on Tuesday.
Records at the department’s Epidemiology Bureau showed that 6,552 people were diagnosed with HIV for the first ten months of 2015.
Out of the number recorded, 6,128 patients were asymptomatic while 424 already had acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
The National Capital Region had the highest number with 258 HIV cases, followed by Region IV-A with 111, Region III, 51, Region VII, 47, Region VI, 38, and Region XI, 31.
As part of the annual celebration of World AIDS Day every December 1st, the Department of Health – NCR, along with 17 local government units and non-government organizations joined hands to promote awareness about HIV/AIDS.
“We want to create awareness and remember the people who have gone ahead. We aim to have zero new HIV cases, deaths, AIDS-related illnesses, and discrimination,” DOH-NCR Director Ariel Valencia said.
He said people with HIV can avail themselves of free medicines from the DOH.
In the Philippines, 22 HIV patients are recorded every day in 2015, most of them men having unprotected sex with men and people who inject drugs.
The World Health Organization said the Philippines is one of the countries with the fastest growing number of HIV cases with 29,079 as of October 2015 since.
“If we do not slow down our HIV epidemic, if we do not invest in preventing new HIV infections, the number of people living with HIV will reach 133,000 by 2022, and would cost PhilHealth around P4 billion in outpatient HIV packages every year,” Health Secretary Janette Garin said during an HIV Forum.
JACQUELINE BOUVIER ARIAS