SUBIC, Zambales (MindaNews/14 July) – The number of people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus in the Philippines will reach 133,000 by 2022 based on the current rate of infections, a health official said Thursday.
Dr. Genesis May Samonte, program manager of the Epidemiology Bureau of the Department of Health, said the figure means P4 billion a year from PhilHealth.[]
Samonte, speaking during a media seminar here on reporting HIV and AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome), said the number of infections has kept increasing since 2001.
“This is the HIV generation, and it’s here to stay for at least 10-15 years,” she said.
In 2001, only one infection was reported per day. It increased to four in 2010 and to 14 in 2014, went down to nine in 2012, but rose to 25 cases per day in 2015, she said.
She clarified the figures are an underestimate since not many people submit themselves to HIV testing.
From January 1984 to May 2016, the country has recorded 34,158 HIV cases, Samonte said.
Citing date from the HIV/AIDS and Anti-Retroviral Treatment Registry of the Philippines (HARP), the official said 91% (31,088) of the reported cases were asymptomatic at the time of reporting.
Ninety-two percent (31,573) were male and 2,574 were female. The rest did not report gender.
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