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968 new HIV cases reported to registry in March 2017 – DOH


Nearly 1,000 new HIV antibody sero-positive individuals reported to the HIV/AIDS & ART Registry of the Philippines (HARP) in March 2017, registering the highest number of cases reported since 1984.

HARP's March 2017 report stated that 968 individuals, 59 of whom were OFWs, reported to the registry in March this year, marking a 32-percent increase in reported cases compared to the same period last year (735).


Males represented the majority of new cases (926 males to 42 females), with most belonging to the age ranges of 25 to 34 (481) and 15 to 24 (315).


Sexual contact, specifically male to male sex (560), was the main mode of transmission for a majority of male cases, followed by sex with males and females (260); male to female sex (81); sharing of infected needles (22); and mother to child transmissions (3).

NCR has the majority of reported cases in March (309) and from January 1984 to March 2017 (17,825); Region 4A came next (135 in March; 5,970 overall) with the rest of the country (289 in March; 7,403 overall); followed by Region 3 (107 in March; 3,628 overall), Region 7 (76 in March; 3,812 overall), and Region 11 (52 in March; 2,499 overall).

The regions with the highest number of OFWs reporting is NCR with 1,697 cases, Region 4A with 807 cases, and Region 3 with 510 cases.


All 27 of the reported deaths of HIV-positive individuals in March 2017 were males who were infected via sexual contact.

Eighteen or 67 percent belong to 25 to 34 age group; eight or 30 percent were from the 35 to 49 age group; and one came from the 15 to 24 age group.

Of those reported with HIV, 784 began anti-retroviral treatments (ART) to lower their viral load and improve their immune response.

A total of 19,375 HIV patients were presently on ART as of March 2017, with most or 97 percent being males and in the median age of 31.

Life-long ART is available to those registered in HIV treatment hubs.

 

 

The 2017 ART will leap from P900 million to a P1 billion and will allow the Department of Health (DOH) to provide ART to over 39,000 individuals.

This funding will help the DOH achieve one of their goals set in the 6th edition of the country's AIDS Medium Term Plan, which aims to:

  • Increase knowledge in HIV transmission, prevention, and services among 15 to 24-year-olds to 90 percent;
  • Prevent new HIV infection among 15 to 24-year-olds;
  • Test and treat 90 percent of people living with HIV;
  • Eliminate mother to child transmission of HIV

READ: Parents urged to teach safe sex at home

The DOH, World Health Organization (WHO), Human Rights Watch (HRW) and other organizations have called for better sex education for youths, the demographic most at risk of HIV/AIDS, other sexual diseases, and early pregnancy.

Plans to distribute condoms to senior high school students who are sexually active were discarded after the Department of Education (DepEd) decided not to support the DOH initiative, which was a reaction to the sudden rise in HIV/AIDS cases among youth. — BM, GMA News

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