A health worker takes blood samples of people who want to undertake voluntary  HIV testing at the University of the Philippines Manila. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/FileMANILA — The Philippines recorded 58 new HIV cases a day in the second quarter of the year, according to the latest report from the Department of Health's epidemiology bureau.

The report, released Friday, also logged 5,321 new HIV cases during the April-June 2024 period, pushing the total recorded cases to 135,076.

Data from the United Nations show the Philippines has one of the world's fastest-growing epidemics. The new report forecasts that by the end of 2024, there will be 215,400 estimated people living with HIV in the country. 

The bureau noted that the number of newly detected HIV cases per month has been increasing since 2021 when monthly cases were 1,027. In 2022, the monthly cases rose by 21 percent or 1,245, and increased by 15 percent or 1,437 in 2023.

In May, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa sounded the alarm that an average of 55 people are being diagnosed with HIV in the country every day.

He said then that many young people as early as 15 years old were being diagnosed with HIV infection — which is still the case today, according to the latest report.

"Among age groups, the most significant increase in the proportion of cases over the past five years (2019-2023) compared to the period from 1984-2018 was observed in individuals below 15 years old," the report said.

"Specifically, there were 179 cases in this age group from 1984 to 2018, while there were 230 cases in just the past five years," it added.

The report also noted that the predominant age group diagnosed with HIV has shifted. From 35-49 years old, the majority of HIV cases are now detected in people aged 25-34. 

The majority of new HIV infections in the second quarter were among men having sex with men at 3,705, the report also noted.

HIV infection can be contracted by anyone through unprotected sex, mother-and-child transmission, or sharing of needles.

READ: Poor education, stigma fuel Philippines' soaring HIV infections

'NEW REPORT STRESSES NEED TO BOOST HIV PREVENTION EFFORTS'

Vinn Pagtakhan, founder of sexual health clinic LoveYourself, said the new report is a "sobering reminder of the urgent need to strengthen our HIV prevention efforts."

Pagtakhan said LoveYourself offers HIV prevention tools across the country, including free HIV testing. Self-testing kits, which allow individuals to test themselves discreetly and conveniently, are also available, Pagtakhan added.

Social media and online dating sites have fueled HIV infections over the past decade by making it easier for people to find sexual partners, according to experts.

Ignorance was also a major factor. A sexual health study by the University of the Philippines' Population Institute in 2021 showed more than a third of young Filipinos aged 15 to 24 did not believe using condoms could reduce the risk of acquiring HIV.

Consistent use of condoms is one of the cornerstones of HIV prevention. Other HIV prevention tools include the use of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis or PrEP and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis or PEP.

HIV is no longer a death sentence due to life-saving antiretroviral drugs that can help people living with the infection lead normal lives. 

The drugs can help people living with HIV suppress the infection and reach undetectable levels, which means they cannot transmit the virus to others.

—with a report from Agence France-Presse

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