MANILA – Some 10,111 people were found to be infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) from January to November last year, with 1,277 found to be suffering from Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), the Department of Health’s Epidemiology Bureau reported Thursday.
A total of 428 deaths were also recorded in the first 11 months of 2017, said the latest HIV/AIDS and ART Registry of the Philippines (HARP) report.
A total of 8,514 HIV cases were logged in the first 11 months of 2016, and 49,733 since HIV was first reported in January 1984.
In November alone, 894 were found to be HIV-positive, 127 were found to have full-blown AIDS, and 13 had died of the disease.
Of the total, 859 were male and 35 were female; 288 belonged to the 15-24 age bracket, 436 to the 25-34 age group, and 144 to the 35-49 age bracket.
The chief mode of transmission remained to be sexual contact, with male-to-male contact accounting for 90 percent.
The National Capital Region had the most number of reported cases with 303, followed by Calabarzon (164), Central Luzon (94), Central Visayas (63), and Davao region (55).
The health department has been encouraging those at risk of contracting the disease to avail of free testing; and those who test positive for the virus to avail of free treatment.
A total of 658 persons living with HIV began their anti-retroviral therapy last November. (PNA)
