The Department of Health (DOH) has recommended declaring HIV a national public health emergency in the Philippines due to a 500 percent increase in cases among youth aged 15 to 25, Xinhua reported.
DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said the country recorded an average of 57 new HIV cases daily from January to March 2025 — the highest rate in the Western Pacific region. In comparison, daily cases were at 21 in 2014 and rose to 48 in 2024.
From January to April 2025, the average rose to 56 cases per day, 44 percent higher than the same period last year. The predominant mode of transmission is sexual contact, mainly among males having sex with males, according to Xinhua.
