There were 1,047 new HIV positive Filipinos reported to the HIV/AIDS & ART Registry of the Philippines (HARP) in August 2018, bringing the January-August 2018 figure to 7,579; and the total HIV cases overall (from January 1984 to August 2018) to 58,181. The August figure is higher than the 859 HIV cases reported in July.
Worryingly, the DOH reported that for August, there were 159 HIV-related deaths; in July, there were only 30. The figure may even be higher because of under- or non-reporting.
Majority of those newly diagnosed to have HIV in the Philippines are still male – e.g.998 (95%) of the newly diagnosed in August were male. The median age was 28 years old (age range: 15 – 61 years old). More than half of the cases (51%, 537) were 25-34 years old and 30% (309) were 15-24 years old at the time of testing.
Sexual contact remains the main mode of transmission (98%, 1,022). Among this, 87% were males who have sex with males (MSM). Other modes of transmission were needle sharing among injecting drug users (2%, 17). There were eight cases that had no data on mode of transmission.
Only 30,667 PLHIVs are on ART as of August 2018. Most (97%) were males.
Incidentally, the Department of Health (DOH) continues to receive flak for its inaction and misaction when dealing with HIV in the Philippines. In September, for instance, and even if DOH laments proposed budget cuts, it allocated supposedly scarce funds to hold a beauty pageant. To appease critics, it eventually held a rushed Metro Manila-centric “dialogue” with select people living with HIV (PLHIV), although what transpired in the gathering was not publicly shared.
On beauty pageants and messed up priorities in dealing with HIV in Phl…
