Philippines HIV Epidemic: A Public Health Emergency Call

HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report for the first quarter of 2025

The Philippines is currently facing a severe public health crisis.  While initial panic-inducing reports were about MPox cases in selected areas in the country, these index cases were found to be among immunocompromised hosts with multiple sex partners.

This week, DOH Secretary Ted Herbosa sounded off the alarms that the HIV epidemic is even more problematic than mounting fears about MPox due to the more than 500% increase in HIV case findings from 2010 to 2025, based on the DOH National Epidemiology Bureau HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report for the first quarter of 2025.  This prompted the DOH to call for the declaration of a national public health emergency to mobilize resources and intensify intervention efforts. 

Here are the key findings:

1. Dramatic increase:  From January to March 2025, the Epidemiology Bureau recorded 5,101 newly diagnosed HIV cases with 57 new cases detected per day.  Compared to 2010 statistics, this represents 564% increase, making the Philippines the country with the fastest-growing HIV epidemic in the Western Pacific region. 

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2.  Youth Most Affected:  Although half (74,081, 50%) of cases were 25-34 years old and 44,187 (30%) were among the youth aged 15-24 years old, the increase is most pronounced among the 15-24 years old age group with some reports indicating a 500% rise in cases.  The youngest reported was a 12 year old from Palawan.

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3.  Predominant Mode of Transmission:  Although there are people who inject drugs in Central Visayas who get HIV, sexual contact remains the primary mode of HIV transmission, with a significant shift towards male-to-male sexual contact since 2007.

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4.  Total Cases:  As of March 2025, the cumulative number of reported HIV cases in the Philippines since 1984 is 139,610 (55% of the estimated) PLHIVs who have been diagnosed or laboratory-confirmed, and are currently living or not reported to have died. Further, 92,712 (66% of the diagnosed) PLHIV are currently on life-saving Antiretroviral Therapy (ART), of which, 41,786 (45%) PLHIV have been tested for viral load (VL) in the past 12 months. Among those tested for VL, 36,630 (88%) were virally suppressed.  The latest Philippine HIV estimates show that by the end of 2025, there will be 252,800 estimated People Living with HIV (PLHIV) in the country.  If left untreated, by 2030 there will be an estimated 400,000 PLHIVs who will need anti-retroviral drugs provided by government funding.

https://bit.ly/HASP2025Q1

5.  Advanced HIV Disease at Diagnosis: Reporting of Advanced HIV Disease (AHD)17 cases only started in 2011. Among the total reported cases, 41,550 (29%) were diagnosed with AHD, 8% higher compared to the same quarter of the preceding year.  Advanced HIV Disease at the time of diagnosis indicates delayed testing and treatment.

https://bit.ly/HASP2025Q1

6.  Funding Challenges:  On January 20, 2025, the Trump administration issued an Executive Order freezing all foreign assistance funds for 90 days, citing the need to align programs with the administration's foreign policy priorities.  On January 24, 2025, the U.S. Department of State sent a cable to all U.S. Embassies ordering the immediate suspension of all foreign assistance.  This "Stop Work Order" halted funding for programs including the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) with significant impacts on HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.  

Join us tonight on #HealthXPH at 9PM on BlueSky to discuss this public health emergency call:

T1.  What do you think are the causes and contributing factors to escalating the HIV epidemic in the Philippines?

T2.  With a national public health emergency declaration for HIV, what government response would you recommend to address this crisis?

T3.  What is the role of social media for a comprehensive and multi-pronged approach to halting HIV transmission?