Jamayka Rhose Pascual

The Department of Health (DOH) is urging the declaration of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) as a national public health emergency following a 500 percent surge in cases among Filipinos aged 15 to 25 during the first quarter of 2025.

Photo Courtesy of DOH/Pexels.

Between January and March, an average of 57 individuals were diagnosed with HIV each day.

With these numbers, the Philippines now reports the highest rate of new HIV infections in the Western Pacific Region, alarming both local and global health authorities.

DOH Secretary Ted Herbosa warned on June 3 that the situation is no longer a looming threat but a full-blown crisis that demands immediate national attention.

“Our biggest problem is not mpox, but the spread of HIV,” he emphasized.

Herbosa also shared the case of a 12-year-old child from Palawan as the youngest who recently tested positive for HIV.

As of 2024, more than 215,000 Filipinos are living with HIV, many of whom face social stigma and delayed treatment.

Sexual contact remains the primary mode of transmission, with a significant number of cases occurring among males who have sex with males.

Without decisive action, the DOH projects the number of cases could exceed 400,000 by the end of 2025.

To reverse the trend, the agency is urging the public to undergo HIV testing, emphasizing that services are free, accessible, and confidential.

DOH also promotes the consistent use of protections alongside early access to antiretroviral therapy for those who test positive.

“Gawin ang Combination Prevention Method—-gumamit ng condom, lubricants, at [pre-exposure prophylaxis] PrEP. Ugaliin ang pag konsulta at pag-inom ng Antiretroviral therapy para sa mga kailangan nito,” the department stated on a Facebook post on June 3.