9,000 Filipinos positive for HIV — DOH

The Department of Health (DOH) sounded an alarm yesterday over the more than 9,000 Filipinos who are unaware they have been infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

This figure does not include the 2,410 HIV cases recorded by the DOH from January 1984, when the DOH started its HIV/AIDS Registry, up to December last year. Some of those recorded with HIV have already developed full-blown acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said they found out that 11,168 Filipinos are living with HIV, representing an overall prevalence rate of 0.03 percent among Filipinos aged 15 to 49 years old.

"This is a sharp increase compared to three years ago. In 2002, the number of Filipinos living with HIV/AIDS was at 6,000," he told a National Dissemination Forum on HIV/AIDS.

Duque blamed the sharp increase in HIV cases on "sustained high prevalence of sexually transmitted infections or STIs, high rates of unprotected sex and the growing community of injecting drug users."

"It has been 20 years since the Philippines waged total war against HIV/AIDS... We are now facing a crucial point in this changing battle. Whereas our early interventions since the 1980s have dramatically kept the disease at bay, our current figures are showing that the epidemic is gaining momentum," he said.

The DOH came out with its latest estimate after adopting a "mathematical modeling technique" endorsed by the World Health Organization for countries that are experiencing a "low and slow" spread of HIV.

The DOH used this method in conducting the 2005 Integrated HIV Behavioral and Serologic Surveillance findings (IHBSS) in Pasay City and Quezon City in Metro Manila and the key cities of Angeles, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, General Santos, Iloilo and Zamboanga.

The old method used by the DOH is considered "passive" since it relies only on reports submitted to the DOH and on the "consensus" of experts.

The IHBSS covered 12,503 female sex workers, men who have sex with men, men infected with sexually transmitted infections, injecting drug users (IDUs) and men who are frequent clients of sex workers.

Dr. Eric Tayag, director of the DOH’s National Epidemiology Center (NEC), noted that what they found alarming in the surveillance was that for the first time since 1996, HIV had been detected among IDUs.

The surveillance results showed the two HIV-related IDUS were based in Cebu City.

Tayag added there was a high prevalence of Hepatitis C among IDUs, particularly those in Cebu City, indicating a widespread practice among them of sharing needles and syringes.

He said HIV spreads very efficiently through needles and syringes so IDUs are an important population to monitor because the Philippines might suffer the fate of Thailand, which is now experiencing an HIV epidemic because of the high incidence of injecting drug use.

The DOH expressed concern because many of the respondents in their survey admitted having contracted STIs like syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea. This indicates rampant unprotected sexual practices.

The surveillance showed that of the 11,168 HIV cases, 2,942 belonged to the high-risk groups while the rest are low-risk or in "general population."

Duque said this means that "we are missing a hidden population that could benefit from present interventions."

"All signs are (indicating) that our window of opportunity may be fast closing and that soon, we may be facing the dreaded unknown — an epidemic explosion that can take shape in just a few years to a few decades," he added.