HIV: Philippines has highest infection rate in Asia-Pacific, United Nations says

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The Philippines has recorded the fastest-growing HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Asia-Pacific in the past six years with a 140 per cent increase in new infections, the Health Ministry and United Nations have said.

Key points: 10,500 Filipinos were infected with HIV at the end of 2016

Health Ministry encourages voluntary HIV testing

Most new infections were among young men

There were 10,500 Filipinos infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) at the end of 2016, up from 4,300 in 2010, Health Minister Paulyn Ubial told a media conference, citing data from UNAIDS.

Ms Ubial encouraged voluntary HIV-testing and use of condoms to help fight the problem, which in May 2017 alone saw 1,098 new cases of HIV infections in the Philippines, the highest recorded number of cases since 1984, when infections were first reported.

The country could still end the public health threat by 2030 if the Government could redirect its focus on the people and locations most at risk, said Eamonn Murphy, UNAIDS regional support team director for Asia-Pacific.

He said 83 per cent of new HIV cases occurred among males who have sex with males and transgender women who have sex with males.

Genesis Samonte, head of the Health Ministry's public health surveillance department, said men who have sex with men were most at risk.

"We're not talking about those that are openly gay," Ms Samonte said.

"Any male who has sex with another male for whatever reason, is at risk."

Two out of three new HIV infections were among 15 to 24 year-old men, who she said had insufficient awareness of HIV, its symptoms and treatment.

Most of the men had their first sexual encounter at 16 years old and only get tested for HIV eight years later, she said.

Reuters

Topics: aids-and-hiv, diseases-and-disorders, health, philippines, asia, pacific</s>Expand Campaign supporters hold a banner during a commemoration event on International AIDS Candlelight Memorial Day in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, May 14, 2016. © 2016 Romeo Ranoco/Reuters

The Philippines’ human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic is a “national emergency,” the head of the AIDS Research Group of the health department’s Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) said on Monday.

Dr. Rossana Ditangco warned that the government’s current approach to the epidemic means that “we can’t control the rapid rise of HIV infection.”

Ditangco is no fear-monger. The latest statistics from the UNAIDS’ 2017 report indicates the rate of HIV infection in the Philippines has become the highest in the Asia Pacific region. That data demonstrates that in 2016, 83 percent of new infections in the Philippines occurred among men who have sex with men and transgender women who have sex with men. The sharp rise in new HIV infections in the Philippines since 2010 stands in sharp contrast to decreasing or stagnant rates of new infections in other parts of the Asia-Pacific region. Philippine Department of Health data indicates that the country’s HIV infection rate grew by 140 percent from 2010 to 2016, with two out of three new HIV infections among 15 to 24-year-old men who have sex with men.

Secretary of Health Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial has responded to this data, by declaring the country’s HIV epidemic “one of the top health priorities” and sharing plans to increase funding for antiretroviral treatment. Government health experts advocate a “treat all” approach, under which anyone who tests positive for HIV will immediately be offered treatment, irrespective of their immune system status. The health department also intends to “scale up” its community-based HIV screening by promoting testing and other services such as risk-reduction and HIV awareness counseling in so-called “high burden areas”—areas with high numbers of new infections.

But amid these official expressions of concern, the government continues to delay the roll out of proven low-tech and low-cost interventions that can address the spread of HIV among men who have sex with men. Instead, it should immediately implement the recommendations from a recent Human Rights Watch report and remove current official obstacles to condom access and usage as well as ensure that schools include safer sex and HIV prevention education in the curriculum. The government should also reactivate harm reduction programs targeting injecting drug use, particularly in Cebu City. Likewise, the government needs to step up its efforts to eliminate stigma and discrimination, which are key factors in discouraging or preventing key affected populations being tested or treated.

The worsening severity of the Philippines’ HIV epidemic is unquestionable. The Philippines government needs to demonstrate it’s finally willing to adequately address it.</s>Filipino activists marching during the 2012 World AIDS Day calling for increased awareness to the rising number of HIV infections and AIDS-related cases. Source: AP

PARLIAMENTARIANS, activists and health experts have called the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the Philippines a national emergency after a United Nations report showed rates of the disease were the highest in the Asia-Pacific region.

They are urging President Rodrigo Duterte’s government to take drastic action, after a UNAIDS report showed the Philippines had seen a 140 percent increase in the number of new HIV infections between 2010 and 2016, from 4,300 to 10,500 cases.

“The government must focus its time and resources on this urgent, life and death matter. We cannot afford to lose our young people to this epidemic,” said Senator Risa Hontiveros, the Senate Committee on Health vice-chair on Wednesday.

SEE ALSO: Philippines: As HIV cases hit record high, govt explores new drug treatment

Philippines health department data has shown in May 2017 alone, more than 1,000 new cases of HIV-AIDS were reported – the highest number since the heavily Catholic country’s first recorded case in 1984.

About 97 percent of the new cases were transmitted through sexual contact, mostly among men who have sex with men.

“Education on sexuality and safe sex is being neglected, and unfortunately, that takes a toll on the health of our young people. Most new cases are from among people between 15 to 24 years old,” said Hontiveros, as quoted by the state Philippine News Agency.

Head of the AIDS Research Group of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine Dr Rossana Ditangco said within less than ten years, more than 90 percent of those with HIV in the Philippines would be in the below-30 age bracket.

“We can’t control the rapid rise of HIV infection,” she said, as reported by Rappler. “It is time the government treats HIV as a national emergency.”

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Human Rights Watch researcher Carlos H. Conde wrote on Tuesday the Philippines’ government must “remove current official obstacles to condom access and usage as well as ensure schools include safer sex and HIV prevention education in the curriculum.”

“Likewise, the government needs to step up its efforts to eliminate stigma and discrimination, which are key factors in discouraging or preventing key affected populations being tested or treated,” he said.

Last week, the Philippines announced a two-year pilot project to offer anti-HIV drugs to the gay and transgender communities, a move welcomed by LGBT activists.</s>The Philippines has registered the fastest-growing HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Asia-Pacific in the past six years with a 140-percent increase in the number of new infections, the health ministry and the United Nations said on Tuesday.

MANILA: The Philippines has registered the fastest-growing HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Asia-Pacific in the past six years with a 140-percent increase in the number of new infections, the health ministry and the United Nations said on Tuesday.

At the end of 2016, there were 10,500 Filipinos infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) up from 4,300 in 2010, Health Minister Paulyn Ubial told a news conference, citing data from UNAIDS.

Ubial encouraged voluntary HIV-testing and use of condoms to help fight the problem, which in May 2017 alone saw 1,098 new cases of HIV infections in the Philippines, the highest recorded number of cases since 1984 when infections were first reported.

The country can still end the public health threat by 2030 if the government can re-direct its focus on the people and locations most at risk, said Eamonn Murphy, UNAIDS regional support team director for Asia-Pacific.

He said 83 percent of new HIV cases occurred among males who have sex with males and transgender women who have sex with males.

Genesis Samonte, head of the health ministry's public health surveillance department, said men who have sex with men were most at risk.

"We're not talking about those that are openly gay," Samonte told a news conference. "Any male who has sex with another male for whatever reason, is at risk."

Two out of three new HIV infections were among 15 to 24 year-old men, who she said have insufficient awareness of HIV, its symptoms and treatment.

Most of the men had their first sexual encounter at 16 years old and only get tested for HIV eight years later, she said.</s>- The Philippines has registered the fastest-growing HIV/AIDS infection in Asia-Pacific over the past six years with a 140 percent increase, said its Health Department.Speaking at a press conference in Manila on August 1, Health Minister Paulyn Ubial quoted the figures of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS as saying that in late 2016, there were 10,500 Filipinos infected with HIV, up from 4,300 in 2010.In May 2017 alone, new HIV infections rose to 1,098, the highest since 1984, making the Philippines one of the eight countries accounting for more than 90 percent of new HIV infections annually in the region.He said 83 percent of new HIV cases occurred among males who have sex with males and transgender women who have sex with males.UNAIDS Regional Support Team Director for Asia-Pacific Eamonn Murphy said the country could end this public health threat by 2030 if the government can re-direct its focus on the people and locations most at risk.The Philippine Health Department is providing anti-retroviral medicine free for anyone who tests positive for HIV, as well as other out-patient services to maximum of 30,000 pesos (600 USD) a year per person.-VNA</s>MANILA-The Philippines has the fastest growing number of HIV infections in Asia, a report by the United Nations and the government showed Tuesday.

The Southeast Asian nation saw a 140 percent increase in new cases from 2010 to 2016, even though the annual number of new infections in Asia-Pacific declined by 13 percent over the same period, according to the report. “The Philippines has a small window of opportunity to act now and stop a major HIV epidemic from taking hold,” Eamonn Murphy, director of UNAIDS Regional Support Team said in a statement.

He called on the government to focus anti-HIV efforts on those at most risk.

Genesis Samonte of the Philippine health department’s epidemiology bureau said eight out of 10 reported HIV cases were among men having relation with men (MSM).

“Risky behaviours are starting very young,” she said, adding that the MSM group on average started having sex at 16, and anal sex at 17 before they have started using condoms or taken HIV tests, increasing the risk of infection. The report also showed that only 35 percent of MSM had comprehensive knowledge of HIV transmission and prevention.

Samonte said there were indications that a rise in the use of the Internet and cellphones was allowing more young people to have multiple partners, further fuelling the risk of contracting HIV.

Cases will continue to increase and burden the Philippine health system if the nation does not invest in prevention and treatment, according to Samonte.

Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial said that “HIV is one of the top health priorities for the government,”, that the budget for the disease had been sharply increased and her department aimed to start reversing the trend in five years.

The government was directing its services towards MSM and transgender women, and opening clinics in cities where the bulk of the new HIV cases were detected, Ubial added.</s>85% of the new HIV infections among Filipinos are hitting 15 to 24-year-old males having sex with males

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Health (DOH) said on Tuesday, August 1, that the Philippines now has the "fastest growing" HIV epidemic in Asia Pacific.

Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial made the announcement in a press conference, citing the latest data from the UNAIDS Report on global HIV epidemic states.

According to the report, the new HIV cases among Filipinos more than doubled from 4,300 in 2010 to 10,500 in 2016.

"The Philippines has become the country with the fastest growing HIV epidemic in Asia and the Pacific, and has become one of 8 countries that account for more than 85% of new HIV infections in the region," said Ubial.

Most of these new infections occur in 117 "high burden areas," including the National Capital Region, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Bulacan, Cebu, Davao, Tagum, Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, Zamboanga, General Santos City, Koronadal, Butuan, Iloilo, Bacolod, Puerto Princesa, Tacloban, Naga, Lucena, Angeles, Mabalacat, Tarlac, San Fernando, Cabanatuan, Olongapo, and Baguio.

Ubial said 85% of the new HIV infections among Filipinos are among males who have sex with males, which the DOH refers to as MSMs.

Genesis Samonte, chief of the DOH's Public Health Surveillance department, clarified that the infections do not only cover gay men.

"Now let me clarify: We're not talking about those that are openly gay... What we're saying is any male who has sex with another male for whatever reason, is at risk for getting HIV based on our data," said Samonte.

Two out of 3 new HIV infections will be among 15 to 24-year-old MSMs, with only a few young men fully aware of HIV, its symptoms, and treatment.

Samonte said risky sexual behavior among MSMs happens at a young age, with the first sexual encounter happening at 16 years old. Most only get tested for HIV at 22 years old. This is problematic, Samonte said, because latency in HIV can last for 10 years.

"It's very possible that you only have a few more years left [to live] if you don't get access to [treatment]," said Samonte.

Condom use among MSMs has increased, from 36% in 2011 to 50% in 2010, but this remains low for the DOH.

Both Ubial and Samonte then emphasized that getting tested for HIV is crucial. They said preventing one at-risk person from getting HIV only costs P3,200 per year, while treating one HIV-infected person can reach up to P33,000 annually. (READ: Orgies and Tinder: Millennials are having sex, some with a deadly price)

"HIV testing is not the end goal. HIV testing is only a bridge to life-saving treatment... The issue is that so many people are getting tested but don't get treatment," said Samonte.

The latest HIV/AIDS and ART Registry of the Philippines reported a total of 1,098 new cases of HIV infections among Filipinos in May.

This is the highest recorded number of cases since 1984 – the year the first AIDS case in the Philippines was reported. A total of 29 Filipinos are reported to be infected with HIV daily.

Ubial acknowledged that since new infections are hitting young MSMs, the issue of stigma remains a big obstacle in getting tested.

"We believe stigma plays a role in the low, shall we say, acceptance to testing and getting treated. Because I think there's still a lot of fear and also, shall we say, denial among certain population groups that they will not be infected," said Ubial.

The youth may be too embarrassed to inform their parents or relatives that they want to go to a testing center, or vice versa.

"If parents are not comfortable talking to their teenage children, then we ask them to also come to the health facility and the DOH will help them and counsel their children. And also, it is being taught in the school," said Ubial.

Owie Franco, president of Pinoy Plus Advocacy Pilipinas, said they even have members who have profiles in online dating applications and websites who urge users there to get HIV tested. Franco heads a non-governmental organization composed of Filipinos who are HIV-positive.

The DOH suggested 3 ways to prevent new infections, with informing the public about HIV topping the agenda.

Samonte said they are also encouraging Filipinos to resort to abstinence or delay their first sexual encounter.

"Of course, if you do not have sex, you will not get HIV... We want them to wait when they're ready and as much as possible, delay it as long as possible," said Samonte.

The DOH is urging those who are sexually active to always use condoms. The health department previously considered the idea of distributing condoms in schools, but this plan was eventually rejected by the education department.</s>The Philippines has the fastest growing number of HIV infections in Asia, a report by the United Nations and the government showed Tuesday.

The nation saw a 140 percent increase in new cases from 2010 to 2016, even though the annual number of new infections in Asia-Pacific declined by 13 percent over the same period, according to the report.

“The Philippines has a small window of opportunity to act now and stop a major HIV epidemic from taking hold,” Eamonn Murphy, director of UNAIDS Regional Support Team said in a statement.

He called on the government to focus anti-HIV efforts on those at most risk.

Genesis Samonte of the Philippine health department’s epidemiology bureau said eight out of 10 reported HIV cases were among men having sex with men (MSM).

“Risky behaviors are starting very young,” she said, adding that the MSM group on average started having sex at 16, and anal sex at 17 before they have started using condoms or taken HIV tests, increasing the risk of infection.

The report also showed that only 35 percent of MSM had comprehensive knowledge of HIV transmission and prevention.

Samonte said there were indications that a rise in the use of the Internet and cell phones was allowing more young people to have multiple partners, further fueling the risk of contracting HIV.

Cases will continue to increase and burden the Philippine health system if the nation does not invest in prevention and treatment, according to Samonte.

In Cebu, Dr. Van Phillip Baton, HIV/AIDS coordinator of the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7), said that 360 new cases of HIV and 26 for AIDS have been reported to their office from January to May 2017.

Most of those infected or 357 of them were men while 29 were women aged between 25 to 34 years old.

Baton said that most of those infected were men who had sex with other men. The second most common mode of transmission is the sharing of needles, he added.

He is asking those who suspect that they may be infected with HIV to submit themselves to free testing at DOH-7.

Testing can also be done at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) and Rural Health Units (RHUs) located in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Talisay and Danao.

Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial said that “HIV is one of the top health priorities for the government,” that the budget for the disease had been sharply increased and her department aimed to start reversing the trend in five years.

The government was directing its services towards MSM and transgender women, and opening clinics in cities where the bulk of the new HIV cases were detected, Ubial added.</s>THE Philippines is one of eight countries that account for majority of new cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the Asia-Pacific region, with the number having more than doubled in the past six years, according to a UN report.

From the period of 2010 to 2016, cases of new infections of HIV in the country has risen from 4,300 in 2010 to 10,500 in 2016, Eamonn Murphy, director of the UNAIDS Regional Support Team for the Asia-Pacific said.

Murphy said, however, that despite the increase, the number was not as high as other countries in the region, which record tens of thousands annually.

“The Philippines has a small window of opportunity to act now and stop a major HIV epidemic from taking hold,” Murphy said.

“If HIV programming is re-directed to focus on the people most at risk and where they are located, I’m sure the country can not only return to a stable situation but even end the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030,” Murphy said.

Data from the Philippines revealed that in 2016, 83 percent of newly reported cases occurred among males having sex with males (MSM) and transgender women having sex with males (TGW). A majority of new infections occurred between the ages of 15-24 years old among the MSM and TGW.

Also from the same report, only 35 percent of the 15-24 year old MSM and TGW had correct knowledge on HIV transmission and prevention. Condom use among the same demographic has increased from 36 percent in 2011 to 50 percent in 2015, which is below the expected 80 percent target.

The percentage of MSM and TGW who knew their HIV status by getting tested increased from 5 percent in 2011 to 16 percent in 2015.

The Philippines has improved its programs regarding the expansion of HIV services for males who have sex with males and transgender women such as opening clinics in urban areas where HIV prevalence was higher.

The current strategy of the health sector is to focus on 117 high-burden areas where 80 percent of new infections have been reported. These areas include Metro Manila and its surrounding provinces, Cebu, Davao, Tagum, Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, Zamboanga, General Santos, Koronadal, Butuan, Iloilo, Bacolod, Puerto Princesa, Tacloban, Naga, Lucena, Angeles, Mabalacat, Tarlac, San Fernando Cabanatuan, Olongapo and Baguio.

Its goal is to open at least one HIV clinic in each of the high burden areas and provide a one-stop shop for prevention, counseling, laboratory workup, and treatment services.

The Department of Health (DoH) is providing free antiretroviral (ARV) medicine for free to anyone who tests positive for HIV, as well as other outpatient services to a maximum of P30,000 a year per person.

Government funding has increased in the past years to help the HIV program and currently, the DOH has allocated P900 million for it.

“We have significantly increased the budget allocated to HIV in the past few years, and are now implementing programs which we expect to have a positive impact,” Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial said.

“The Department of Health, together with the Philippine National AIDS Council, other government agencies, local government units, and partner civil society groups is determined and committed to halt the increase in the number of cases and start reversing the trend of the epidemic in five years,” Ubial added.</s>A priest lights candles around an AIDS symbol as he participates in an event in observance of World AIDS Day in Quezon city, Philippines. Aaron Favila / AP

Ubial encouraged voluntary HIV-testing and use of condoms to help fight the problem, which in May 2017 alone saw 1,098 new cases of HIV infections in the Philippines, the highest recorded number of cases since 1984 when infections were first reported.

The country can still end the public health threat by 2030 if the government can re-direct its focus on the people and locations most at risk, said Eamonn Murphy, UNAIDS regional support team director for Asia-Pacific.

He said 83 percent of new HIV cases occurred among males who have sex with males and transgender women who have sex with males.

Genesis Samonte, head of the health ministry’s public health surveillance department, said men who have sex with men were most at risk.

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“We’re not talking about those that are openly gay,” Samonte told a news conference. “Any male who has sex with another male for whatever reason, is at risk.”

Two out of three new HIV infections were among 15 to 24 year-old men, who she said have insufficient awareness of HIV, its symptoms and treatment.

Most of the men had their first sexual encounter at 16 years old and only get tested for HIV eight years later, she said.
According to the United Nations, the Philippines has the largest increase in HIV/AIDS in the Asia Pacific region with about a 140% increase in cases from 2010 until 2016 possibly causing a 'national emergency.' (ABC.net.au), (Human Rights Watch)