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HIV remains a significant public health issue in the Philippines, with new cases steadily increasing in recent years.
GENERAL OVERVIEW
GENERAL OVERVIEW
The April-June 2024 Report of the HIV & Aids Registry of the Philippines says that by the end of 2024, about 215,400 Filipinos will have HIV. Out of these people, only 127,217, or about 59%, have been confirmed with HIV. This means that a large part of the population still does not know if they have HIV. Also, while 84,086 people, or 66% of those identified, are getting Antiretroviral Therapy (ART), which can save their lives, only 32,801 people, or 39% of those on ART, have successfully stopped the virus from spreading. In other words, a lot of people who are on ART are still potentially spreading the virus.
Also, 32% more HIV cases were reported every day in the Philippines than the year before. There were 5,321 new cases or an average of 58 cases per day. A lot of the latest cases were men (94%), and most of them were between the ages of 15 and 34 (79%). Also, 67% said they were cisgender (67%). These labs made 62% of the findings using the Certified Rapid HIV Diagnostic Algorithm (rHIVda). This is likely because they got more test kits. It's scary that 28% of people who are newly diagnosed with HIV already have a very advanced infection when they are discovered.
Check Out the Full Report Here.
Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS_ Ending Inequalities and Getting on Track to End AIDS by 2030.pdf
THE U=U CONCEPT
THE U=U CONCEPT
The idea behind U=U, which stands for "Undetectable = Untransmittable," is a big step forward in treating HIV. If a person with HIV regularly takes their antiretroviral therapy (ART) and reaches an undetectable viral load, which means the amount of HIV in their blood is so low that standard tests can't find it, they cannot give HIV to a partner who does not have HIV through sex.
This message has changed the way HIV is prevented because it makes people less afraid of getting HIV from somebody else who is HIV-positive to someone who is HIV-negative. Also, U=U shows how important it is to stick to ART, not only for the person's health but also to stop the spread of HIV.
THE 95-95-95 GOAL
THE 95-95-95 GOAL
Three main goals make up the 95-95-95 strategy, which is a world goal to end the HIV epidemic:
95% Diagnosed: Making sure that 95% of people living with HIV know they have it by checking them regularly and diagnosing them early.
95% Treated: Making sure that 95% of people who are identified with HIV get the right care, especially antiretroviral therapy (ART), to control the virus well.
95% Virally Suppressed: Ensure that 95% of people on treatment have an undetectable viral load. This means that the amount of HIV in their blood is so low that it can't be passed on to others or cause health problems.
These goals must be met to lower the number of new HIV infections, improve the health and quality of life of people living with HIV, and eventually end the global HIV/AIDS crisis.
References:HIV Undetectable=Untransmittable (U=U), or treatment as prevention. (n.d.). National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). https://www.niaid.nih.gov/diseases-conditions/treatment-prevention Reaching the 95-95-95 targets: The importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration. (n.d.). International Aids Society. https://www.iasociety.org/sites/default/files/CPP/IAS-CPP-Key-considerations.pdf
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