Central Visayas has most deaths linked to HIV in first 2 months of 2022

CEBU, Philippines —  Central Visayas recorded the most number of deaths of people diagnosed with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in the Philippines in the first two months of 2022, and is one of top regions in the country with newly reported cases in this time period, data from the Department of Health’s Epidemiology Bureau show.

As of February 2022, at least 26 died in Central Visayas, 23 died in the National Capital Region, and 10 died in Central Luzon.

In total, 78 with HIV died in the country in this time period. 

Most of those who died, 72 of them, were men. Three of them were from the 15-24 years old bracket, 42 were from the 25-34 years old bracket, while 33 were from the 35-49 years old bracket.

From January 1984 to February 2022, up to 5,483 deaths in the Philippines were linked to HIV. Majority of those who died were from the 25-34-year-old bracket with 2,644 (48 percent). At least 1,323 (24 percent) were from the 35-49 years old bracket; 1,226 (22 percent) were from the 15-24 years old age bracket; 249 (five percent) were 50 years old and older; and 37 (1 percent) were below 15 years old.

Four others did not have reported age at the time of death.

CV in Top 5

Meanwhile, Central Visayas continues to be one of five regions in the country with the most number of new cases of HIV.

In January 2022 alone, out of the 875 confirmed HIV-positive individuals, 50 new cases were tagged under Region 7.

The region also recorded two cases of pregnant women with HIV.

In February 2022, at least 1,054 confirmed HIV-positive individuals reported to the HIV/AIDS & ART Registry of the Philippines (HARP), bring to 96,266 the number of reported cases since January 1984.

Of the total number of newly diagnosed cases, Central Visayas has 63 additional cases. NCR still tops the chart with 316, followed by Calabarzon with 230, Central Luzon with 121, and Western Visayas with 68.

The same report also says that 28 percent (297) of individuals reported in February had advanced HIV infection (152c based on an immunologic criterion, an additional 145 based on clinical criteria) at the time of testing.

Ninety-five percent (1,006) of the reported cases were men while 5 percent (48) were women.

Of the total reported cases in this period, 60 percent (630) were cisgender, three percent (35) were transgender women, 25 percent (260) identified their gender neither as man nor woman, and 12 percent (129) did not have their gender identity reflected on the data.

Aside from that, 50 percent (528) of cases were from the 25-34 years old bracket at the time of diagnosis, 30 percent (311) were from the 15-24 years old bracket, 18 percent (188) were from the 35-49 years old bracket, two percent (26) were 50 years and older, and <1%(1) was below 15 years old. The median age was 28 years old (age range: 2-70 years old).

In February 2022, seven HIV-positive pregnant women were reported at the time of diagnosis, one of whom is from Central Visayas.

There were also 52 Overseas Filipino Workers reported to have HIV in the latest report. Meanwhile, 78 are transactional sex, 311 are young people between 15 to 24 years old, and 62 are between 10 to 19 years old.

Mode of transmission include sexual contact – 678 cases involving men with male partners, 251 men with both male and female partners, 64 men with only female partners, and 46 women with only male partners; sharing of needs at five cases; and one case of mother to child transmission. – JMO (FREEMAN)