THE Philippines remains to be the only country in the Western Pacific region where the incidence of HIV continues to rise, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
In a briefing on Monday, outgoing WHO Western Pacific Region Regional Director Shin Young-soo said that all over the region, the trend in HIV incidence has been on the decline except for the Philippines, which is a cause for concern.
In the Philippines, WHO Philippines Representative Gundo Aurel Weiler said HIV prevalence has increased by 140 percent in the last six to eight years. Elsewhere in the region and the world, HIV incidence has been on a 20-percent decline.
“Yes, we are very worried about this [the rise in HIV incidence in the Philippines],” Young-soo said. “I think Philippine society should take this very seriously. The Philippines is the only country in our region where HIV is increasing.”
This, despite data that showed HIV affects less than a percent of the Philippine population. Weiler said there are about 80,000 Filipinos living with HIV.
Weiler said what is complicating this problem further is that half of the number of people believed to be living with HIV are not aware that they have been infected.
This means 40,000 Filipinos— living with HIV but have not been tested to be properly informed about their condition—pose a threat to themselves and prospective or current partners.
Weiler said prevention is the key to putting an end to the increase in HIV incidence. He said it is important to get tested and to emphasize the use of contraceptives during intercourse, especially among vulnerable groups such as men who have sex with men and the transgender communities.
“There are many people who live with the virus but have not been tested and who are unaware. And that’s a real problem because if they are unaware of their own infection, they put their own health in danger,” Weiler said. “Of course, people who are not aware of their own infection might be at higher danger of passing on the virus unknowingly to their partners.”