The Department of Health (DOH) on Friday, Oct. 11, emphasized the increasing incidence of newly diagnosed cases of Advanced HIV Disease (AHD) in the country and highlighted the critical need for early testing.
During the 16th Plenary Meeting of the Philippine National AIDS Council (PNAC), the DOH noted the increase in AHD cases and deaths, underscoring the importance of early testing and the necessity for patients to stay on treatment.
“To prevent HIV/AIDS, we must get tested early, as this helps avoid late-stage disease that can be fatal,” DOH Secretary Teodoro J. Herbosa said. “People living with HIV who stay on treatment can and do live happy and healthy lives,” he added.
Rise in cases
As of August 2024, the DOH reported 40,934 cases, representing 30 percent of all cumulative cases since 1984.
This, the DOH said, indicates late detection and poses severe health risks.
Citing the World Health Organization (WHO), the DOH stated that AHD is defined as a “CD4 cell count < 200 cells/mm³ or WHO stage 3 or 4 in adults and adolescents.”
“All children younger than five years of age are considered to have advanced HIV disease,” the DOH explained. “This includes both individuals presenting to care who are antiretroviral therapy (ART) naive and those returning to care after interrupted treatment,” it added.
The DOH indicated that the global health authority notes, “People with AHD are at high risk of death, even after starting ART; this risk increases with decreasing CD4 cell count.”
“The most common causes of severe illness and death are tuberculosis, severe bacterial infections, and cryptococcal meningitis,” the DOH added.
Late diagnosis
The DOH noted that late diagnosis has contributed to a rise in recorded HIV deaths, totaling 8,246 deaths cumulatively since 1984.
“Annual fatalities have continuously increased from less than 100 before 2011 to more than 400 by 2015, reaching 879 in 2022,” the DOH stated.
The DOH also reported that the majority of these deaths occurred among males aged 25 to 34 years, with more than half (53 percent) caused by complications from being immunocompromised or having AHD.
“From January to August 2024, 464 deaths among HIV cases have been recorded, 28 of which occurred in August alone,” the DOH noted.
This month, the DOH mentioned, 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 health department said. “ARV intake and treatment follow-up were not continuous,” it added.
The DOH said the patient was admitted to the hospital on Sept. 9 as a confirmed case of mpox. “However, it was not mpox that caused his demise,” the agency clarified.
HIV epidemic
The DOH highlighted that, based on recent data, the Philippines has experienced the fastest-growing HIV epidemic in Asia and the Pacific.
“In 2023, there were 48 newly diagnosed cases 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 (HARP),” the DOH said.
“This number rose to as high as 58 per day in the second quarter of 2024,” it added.
More young people diagnosed
The DOH also noted that diagnosed HIV cases are getting younger, with the predominant age group shifting from 35 to 49 years old (from 2002 to 2005) to 25-34 years old starting in 2006.
“Younger people are now more at risk, so parents must engage their children more on this health concern,” Herbosa emphasized.
To reduce stigma and provide support for people living with HIV, Herbosa underscored the importance of strengthening partnerships with local governments, health workers, and community leaders, and working together to enhance available HIV services.