The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
By Rose de la Cruz
The current lack of information on how to practice safe sex to avoid sexually transmitted diseases like HIV-AIDS plus the lack of treatment facilities to cater to the growing number of afflicted persons have given rise to the continued surge in the disease, which the Department of Health expect to double by 2030 from 215,400 cases in 2024 to 401,700 by 2030.
This was reported by Health Secretary Teddy Herbosa during the annual celebration of the global AIDS Candlelight Memorial (done every third Sunday of May) or May 19 (yesterday) to be exact.
The projected population of HIV-AIDs sufferers was arrived at using the AIDS Epidemic Model (AEM) and Spectrum, which suggest a continued rise, with HIV new infections reaching 36,700 by 2030, ironically the year when the global scourge is expected to be ended. The IACM is an annual event observed worldwide to honor those dedicated to helping people living with and affected by HIV.
Given no improvement in the services for the prevention of HIV/AIDs (or the human immunodeficiency virus, an infection that attacks the body’s immune system and the Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or the most advanced stage of the disease), the projected number of Filipinos to be afflicted by the deadly virus would double from 215,400 cases in 2024 to 401,700 by 2030.
Data from the HIV & AIDS and antiretroviral therapy (ART) Registry of the Philippines (HARP) showed, from January to March there were 3,410 newly diagnosed cases, with 82 reported deaths., the Business Mirror reported.
Of these new cases– with ages ranging from less than a year old to 66 years old, 8 out of 10 (81 percent) were males having sex with males.
In March 2024 alone, 1,224 newly diagnosed cases and 12 deaths were reported.
Close to half (46 percent) of the new cases for March 2024 were aged 25-34 years old, while almost a third (31 percent) were among youth aged 15-24 years old.
“Seeking help at general primary care facilities linked to and coordinating with HIV treatment hubs can make a significant difference in managing the disease and improving the quality of life for people living with and affected by HIV,” said Health Secretary Teodoro J. Herbosa.
From 1984 to March 2024, data showed 129,772 cumulative diagnosed cases of HIV kland there was a concentrated epidemic among key and vulnerable populations.
Of the total cases, 82 percent were MSM, 2 percent were people who inject drugs (PWID) or those that had used syringes, 0.2 percent were females engaging in transactional sex, and 0.3 percent were children.
About 89 percent of new infections occurred among MSM, with nearly half (47 percent) of the new infections from the youth aged 15-24 years old.
The National Capital Region and Regions III, IV-A, VI, and VII comprised 74 percent of the total cases, documents cited by Business Mirror showed.
Among the 122,255 diagnosed HIV cases who are still alive, only 64 percent (78,633) are currently on antiretroviral therapy (ART).
“The data we have shows the way for what we do. Better health literacy including age- and culture-appropriate information and commodities for safe sex, routine HIV testing at primary care, and early access to antiretrovirals are clear directions to take,” said Herbosa.
“Resilient and sustainable systems for health can and should serve all peoples for all health conditions—starting with the vulnerable,” added Herbosa.
“The best remembrance we can do for IACM is to gather the light of our collective talents and resources, and scatter this light to scale up evidence-based solutions to our problems in HIV/AIDS. We can create a safer and healthier future together, tungo sa Bagong Pilipinas, kung saan Bawat Buhay Mahalaga,” Herbosa stressed.
There are currently 224 treatment hubs and primary HIV care facilities nationwide as of May 2024.