505 new HIV cases recorded in QC within 1st half of 2019

At least 505 new cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) were recorded in Quezon City from January to July this year, the city’s Public Affairs and Information Services Department said on Sunday.

Quezon City Health Department’s report shows that of the new cases 486 were males and 19 were females.

In July alone, 77 new cases were recorded, said the Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit and STI/HIV Program Manager Doctor Rolando Cruz..

Cruz added that 321 were transmitted through male-to-male sex, 116 through males having sex with both males and females and 61 through male-female sex.

However, the number of HIV cases this year is lower than the 509 cases in the same period last year.  Cruz said the number could surpass last year's 849 record of new cases before 2019 ends.

According to Cruz, the high number of new HIV cases is due to "high risky sexual behavior" and very low use of condom or protective behavior.

"The low knowledge to prevention of HIV and stigma and discrimination attached to HIV also contributed to the high number of fresh cases," Cruz pointed out.

To address this, the local government  is set to launch the "Zero at 2030" campaign on Monday at SEDA Hotel which aims to to prevent the spread of HIV through prevention, control, and treatment.

"We are concerned by the continued incidence of new HIV cases in the city amid our ongoing efforts to combat it," Mayor Joy Belmonte said.

Belmonte added that the campaign targets to have 90 percent of local residents with HIV to be aware of their condition, 90 percent who are positive to get treatment and 90 percent on treatment should stay treated.

"This way, we can reach the goal of zero new cases, zero HIV-related deaths and zero discrimination by 2030," Belmonte said. —Joviland Rita/LBG, GMA News