HIV-AIDS cases jump 40% to 382 in August

MANILA, Philippines—Three hundred eighty-two new cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which could lead to the fatal Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), were reported in August, a 40-percent increase from figures seen in the same period in 2012, the Department of Health said.

Data from the Philippine HIV and AIDS Registry showed that the bulk of the new HIV cases were from the National Capital Region, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Central Visayas and Davao.

“However, the three highest reporting regions were Metro Manila, Central Visayas and Calabarzon,” the report said.

Most of the cases (96 percent) were males, of which 60 percent belonged to the 20-29 years old age group.

Of the 382 HIV positive cases, 341 were contracted through unprotected sex, with men having sex with other men as the predominant type of sexual transmission. The rest were infected through needle sharing among injecting drug users.

Ninety-five percent of the cases were still asymptomatic at the time of reporting, the DOH noted.

A total of 118 deaths were reported from January to August this year. Of this number, 111 were males.

The highest number of deaths occurred in the 25-29 age group, followed by the 30-34 and the 35-39 age groups, the DOH said.

For the month of August 2013 alone, 10 deaths were reported, it added.

As of August, there have been 4,645 people living with HIV who were reported to have been undergoing anti-retroviral therapy, the DOH said.

Contracting HIV leads to a condition characterized by the weakening or breakdown of the body’s immune systems.