FOR the first time in the last three years, the number of new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases in the country breached the 2,000-mark, with 2,078 cases reported in March, according to the Department of Health (DOH).
“The average number of people newly diagnosed with HIV per day is at 54 in 2023,” it also said.
This marked the first time, since 2021, that the country registered over 2,000 new HIV cases in a.
The March 2023 figure is also higher than the 1,537 cases recorded in March 2022.
“This was a 35% increase compared to the same reporting period last year,” said the DOH.
Of the detected cases, 498 of individuals reported in March 2023 had advanced HIV infection at the time of diagnosis
The DOH also said there were 57 deaths due to HIV infection in March 2023.
Sexual contact is the most common mode of transmission with 2,025 cases.
Broken down, male-to-male sex transmission accounted for 1,478 cases, sex with male and female accounted for 343 cases, while male-to-female sex accounted for 204 cases.
The other modes of transmission are sharing of infected needles with 19 cases, mother-to-child with eight, while 26 have no data available.
More than a quarter of the the new cases (599) came from the National Capital Region, followed by 365 from Calabarzon, 231 from Central Visayas, 217 from Central Luzon, and 110 from Davao Region.
“More than half (1,195 cases at 58%) of the total cases reported in March 2023 were from the National Capital Region (NCR), Calabarzon, and Central Visayas,” said the DOH.
For the first three months of 2023, the country recorded 4,819 HIV cases, including 141 deaths.
Since 1984, the Philippines has seen 114,008 HIV cases and 6,474 deaths.
