Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa expressed concern regarding the “escalating” number of AIDS cases in the Philippines.

The latest data has raised alarms among health officials and advocates, prompting calls for urgent action to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS.

In an interview on the sidelines of the 1st Philippine National AIDS Council (PNAC) HIV Summit in Pasay City on Sept. 8, Herbosa said that the latest figures are indeed alarming.

“Yes, I am alarmed,” Herbosa said.

Last year, he noted that the average number of new HIV/AIDS cases per day stood at 22.

“However, this year, we are witnessing a disturbing surge, with an average of 50 new cases reported daily,” Herbosa said.

“What is even more distressing is that some of these new cases involve individuals as young as 15 years old, and many are below the age of 18,” he added.

‘95-95-95’ goals

The global community has set targets known as the "95-95-95" goals aimed at ending AIDS by 2030.

These targets prioritize ensuring that 95 percent of people living with HIV know their status, 95 percent of those diagnosed with HIV receive sustained antiretroviral therapy (ART), and 95 percent of individuals on ART achieve viral suppression as per PNAC.

Regarding the Philippines' progress toward these global targets, Herbosa stated that the immediate focus is to “reduce” the number of new HIV/AIDS cases.

While urban areas have a higher rate of new cases, he noted that the problem extends to other regions as well.

“Awareness with the help of the media to really educate people who have HIV and how not to get HIV,” Herbosa said.

He also mentioned that accurate information dissemination is vital to curb the spread of the disease. (Zekinah Elize Espina)