According to UNAIDS, unlike in other parts of the world, the AIDS Epidemic in the Philippines has been growing rapidly. In 2000, only one new case every three days was diagnosed. However, by the end of 2013, there was already one new case every two hours.
In September 2014, the Philippines Department of Health (DOH) reported today an additional 565 new HIV cases, bringing the total new cases to 4,473 recorded in just the first nine months of the year, with 406 already developing into AIDS cases and 126 deaths.
National HIV/AIDS Surveillance and Strategic Information Unit Deputy Manager Noel Palaypayon described the HIV situation as already being “fast and furious”. Since 1984, there are already 20,989 HIV cases recorded in the country, including 1,912 AIDS cases and 1,065 deaths.
The vast majority of new cases are linked to sexual transmission with eight out of 10 of these cases being in the homosexual and bisexual contact, while the remaining were from heterosexual contact.
Starting 2008, the predominant mode of transmission shifted from heterosexual to males who have sex with males (homosexual and bisexual), according to UNAIDS. In 2010, HIV transmission among people who inject drugs was detected in the Cebu City and has continually been spreading since then.
The total number of reported cases among Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) is continuously increasing – from 164 cases in 2009, 271 in 2011, and 509 cases in 2013. In Sept. 2014, a total of 63 new cases were reported among OFWs, all via sexual contact.
