HIV Infections Doubled In 6 Years – UNAIDS

UN says the number of new infections in the Philippines has over doubled in the past six years from an estimated 4,300 in 2010 to an estimated 10,500 in 2016.

According to the UN Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) report released on Tuesday, Philippines recorded 140 per cent increase of HIV cases during the six-year period.

UNAIDS in the report said the Philippines has become a country with the fastest growing HIV epidemic in Asia and the Pacific.

UNAIDS also said it has become one of eight countries that account for over 90 per cent of new HIV infections annually in the region.

While the Philippines has the fastest growing epidemic in terms of percentage increase, the agency said the number of new infections is not as high as several countries in the region which are estimated to have tens of thousands of new infections annually.

Eamonn Murphy, director of UNIADS Regional Support Team for Asia-Pacific, said that the Philippines has a small window of opportunity to act and stop a major HIV epidemic from taking hold.

“If HIV programming is re-directed to focus on the people most at risk and where they are located, I’m sure the country can not only return to a stable situation but even end the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030,’’ Murphy added.