DOH records over 2,000 new HIV cases in March

MANILA (UPDATE) — The Department of Health has recorded 2,079 new HIV cases in March, up 35 percent from the same period last year.

Based on the HIV/AIDS & Registry of the Philippines, the daily average number of people diagnosed with HIV in March is 54.

The DOH however noted that some 770 cases reported this month were supposed to be confirmed from the previous months.

Of the newly diagnosed HIV cases, majority or 95 percent (1,981) were male while 5 percent (97) were female.

Among age groups, the 25-34 years old recorded the most number of HIV infections with 1,006, followed by the youth aged 15-24 with 635, 35-49 years old with 383 and 50 years and older with 46.

The report also showed that 8 children acquired HIV through mother-to-child transmission and 10 HIV-positive women were pregnant at the time of diagnosis.

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In March, sexual contact is still the leading mode of transmission of HIV, representing 2,025 cases or 97 percent.

Some 19 cases were due to sharing of infected needles while others had no data on the mode of transmission for this reporting period.

The HARP data also revealed that more than half or 1,195 of the newly reported cases were from Metro Manila, Calabarzon and Central Visayas.

In March, there were 57 reported deaths due to any cause among people with HIV.

Since the first reported HIV case in the Philippines in 1984, there have been 114,008 confirmed HIV cases reported to HARP.

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MANAGEMENT, TREATMENT OF HIV

In San Lazaro Hospital in Manila, there are 2,911 clients alive on antiretroviral therapy, which is the treatment for HIV, as of December 2022.

Dennis Gregg Almonte, medical specialist of San Lazaro Hospital's HIV and AIDS department, said the following are the care and treatment programs for HIV patients:

• Prompt treatment of HIV-related diseases
• Prevention of HIV-related diseases
• Control of HIV infection
• Restoration of immune status
• Provision of psychosocial support

For the prompt treatment of HIV-related diseases, the patient will undergo a complete history and physical examination and will be determined if symptomatic or asymptomatic, Almonte said in a virtual town hall forum Monday.

Patients will then be provided prophylaxis against opportunistic infection to prevent HIV-related diseases, he added.

Patients are advised to have a balanced diet, proper sleep and rest, exercise and be vaccinated against Hepatitis B, influenza and streptococcal pneumonia.

For the control of HIV infection and restoration of immune status, Almonte said patients would undergo antiretroviral therapy.

He stressed that the antiretroviral treatment is not curative.

"They have to stick to the antiretroviral or they will induce resistance or cross resistance or there are also short-term or long-term toxicities when taking ARV," Almonte added.

He also noted that the antiretroviral treatment is for lifetime, and it is available for free in DOH-designated treatment hubs.

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