Central Visayas ranked 4th in HIV cases

CEBU, Philippines — Central Visayas remains a region significantly impacted by Human-Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), ranking fourth among the most affected areas in the country.

The Department of Health reported 1,011 new HIV cases from January to September of 2024, indicating ongoing transmission since the first reported HIV case in the region in 1984. In fact, Central Visayas now has accumulated 18,147 HIV cases.

On a national scale, DOH reported 4,595 confirmed HIV-positive individuals in the third quarter last year. Of the total number, 1,301 cases or 28 percent were diagnosed with advanced HIV infections.

Advanced HIV disease refers to a critical stage of HIV infection where the immune system is severely weakened. These are persons living with HIV (PLHIV) who have a CD4 cell count of less than 200 cells per cubic millimeter of blood or those who show symptoms of serious opportunistic infections and illnesses classified under WHO Stages 3 or 4 of AIDS-related conditions.

Daily averages remained consistent with the previous year's third-quarter and are recorded at approximately 50 cases per day.

The age group most affected is shifting towards younger individuals, with a significant number of cases reported among those aged 15-34.

Men continue to be disproportionately affected, accounting for the vast majority of new cases. Sexual contact, particularly male-male sex, remains the primary mode of HIV transmission.

Males comprised 95 percent with 4,362 cases of the newly reported cases, while females accounted for 5 percent or 233 cases.  The ages of those diagnosed ranged from 1 to 73, with a median age of 27. The majority of cases were reported among individuals aged 15 to 34.

Of the newly reported cases in the country, 70 percent identified as cisgender while 3 percent identified as transgender women. The remaining 26 percent had no recorded data on gender identity.

Sexual contact remained the leading mode of transmission, accounting for 96 percent of cases in the third quarter of 2024. The data also shows that 3,263 cases were linked to male-male sex, while 623 involved male-male/female contact, and 538 were through male-female sex.

Sharing of infected needles contributed to less than one percent of cases, while mother-to-child transmission accounted for 13 cases. Additionally, 141 cases had no documented mode of transmission at diagnosis.

The highest regional contributions to new cases were from the National Capital Region (NCR), CALABARZON, Central Luzon, Central Visayas, Western Visayas, and Davao – which accounted for 72 percent of the total reported cases from July to September 2024.

Younger individuals have increasingly been affected by the virus. Since 2006, the predominant age group shifted from 35-49 years old to 25-34 years old. Cases among under 15 years old also soared with 292 recorded from 2019 to 2024.

While antiretroviral therapy (ART) or the medical treatment of PLHIV coverage has improved, a significant number of individuals previously on treatment have discontinued, primarily due being lost to follow-up.

Central Visayas reported the second-highest rate of lost-to-follow-up cases, following the NCR.  FPL