36 new HIV cases documented per day — DOH

MANILA, Philippines — The number of cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) documented by the Department of Health (DOH) has climbed to 36 per day, the DOH reported yesterday.

Based on the HIV/AIDS registry prepared by the DOH’s Epidemiology Bureau for August, 36 new HIV cases were reported daily. This was higher than the 35 cases every day recorded in July.

According to the DOH, the 36 HIV cases are higher than the 32 documented every day in 2018; 16 in 2014; seven in 2011 and one in 2008.

In August alone, the DOH said a total of 1,228 HIV cases were recorded, with 70 deaths. Of the number, 165 cases progressed into “advanced infection” or AIDS. 

The number of HIV/AIDS cases reached 8,711 from January to August this year.

The DOH said nine of the new cases are pregnant women, five of whom came from the National Capital Region; two from Central Visayas and one case each from Central Luzon and Southern Mindanao. A total of 1,170 cases are males.

Four of the patients are below 15 years old. The age group 25 to 34 accounted for the most cases at 578; 15 to 24 years old at 424 cases; 35 to 49 years at 197 cases. Twenty-five cases are above 50 years old. 

Sexual contact was the predominant mode of transmission, with 1,202 cases or 98 percent.  

Among the newly diagnosed HIV patients, 748 cases were transmitted through male-to-male sex; 310 through sex with both male and female, and 144 through male-to-female sex.