Cases of newly diagnosed advanced HIV disease rising

Facade of the Department of Health office in Manila. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – The number of newly diagnosed Advanced HIV Disease (AHD) cases in the country is increasing, the Department of Health (DOH) said Friday.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines advanced HIV disease (AHD) as “CD4 cell count < 200 cells/mm3 or WHO stage 3 or 4 in adults and adolescents.

People with AHD are at high risk of death, even after starting antiretroviral therapy (ART) and this risk increases with decreasing CD4 cell count.

The DOH said late diagnosis has contributed to a rise in the number of recorded HIV deaths, with a cumulative total of 8,246 since 1984.

“Annual fatalities are continuously increasing from less than 100 before 2011, to more than 400 by 2015 and reaching 879 in 2022,” it said.

Majority of the deaths occurred among males aged 25 to 34 years old, with 53 percent of them being caused by complications due to being immunocompromised or having AHD.

From January to August this year, about 464 deaths among HIV cases have been recorded. Twenty-eight occurred in the month of August alone.

“This month, a person living with HIV passed away in Cagayan Valley, six years after being diagnosed. At the time of passing, the patient had several medical conditions related to a very high HIV viral load and resistance to ARV,” the DOH said.

The patient was admitted to hospital on Sept. 9 as a confirmed case of mpox. However, mpox did not cause the patient’s death, the agency said.

READ: HIV cases among Filipinos continue to rise, says DOH

Recent data shows that the Philippines has experienced the fastest-growing HIV epidemic in Asia and the Pacific.

In 2023, there were 48 newly diagnosed daily, a significant increase from just 13 daily cases in 2013, as reported by the HIV/AIDS and Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Registry of the Philippines.

In the second quarter of 2024, the tally reached 58 per day.

Diagnosed HIV cases are getting younger, with the predominant age group shifting from among 35-49 years old in 2002 to 2005, to 25-34 years old starting 2006 onwards.

The DOH said HIV/AIDS can be prevented through early testing and people living with HIV must stay on treatment to have healthy and quality lives.

It urged partnerships with local governments, health workers and community leaders to enhance HIV services, reduce stigma, and provide support for people living with HIV.