CVisayas records 225 new HIV cases

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CEBU CITY — Central Visayas has recorded 225 new cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections in the first quarter of 2025, placing it among the top six regions in the Philippines with the highest number of new cases, the Department of Health (DOH) reported on Wednesday, May 21.

The latest DOH surveillance report revealed that from January to March, Central Visayas contributed 4 percent of the country's 5,101 newly documented HIV cases.

The National Capital Region topped the list, followed by Calabarzon, Central Luzon, Davao Region, Western Visayas and Central Visayas, all together accounting for 69 percent of total cases nationwide.

The DOH recorded a 50 percent increase in national HIV cases in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year.

HIV is a virus that attacks the immune system, specifically CD4 cells, making it harder for the body to fight infections.

It spreads through certain body fluids like blood, semen and vaginal fluids, often via unprotected sex or sharing needles or syringes.

Since 1984, Central Visayas has recorded a total of 10,984 HIV cases, representing 7 percent of the country's 148,831 cumulative cases.

Of this figure, 4,801 cases were reported between January 2020 and March 2025.

Young Filipino males remain the most vulnerable. Of the 5,101 new cases, 95 percent are male.

Nearly half of the cases belong to the 25 to 34 age group and cisgender individuals accounted for 68 percent of the new infections.

The virus continues to spread primarily through sexual contact, which accounted for 96 percent of national transmissions.

Central Visayas reported 99 percent of the new HIV cases linked to shared infected needles, or a total of 2,627 individuals.

In terms of treatment, Central Visayas has 6,596 people living with HIV (PLHIV) who remain alive and on antiretroviral therapy (ART). However, 2,772 of them have been lost to follow-up.

The region's viral load testing rate stood at 33 percent, lower than the national average of 45 percent.

Among those tested, 86 percent achieved viral suppression, a key measure of effective treatment and reduced risk of transmission.

These numbers highlight the country's struggle to meet the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAids) 95-95-95 global targets for 2030.

This translates into 95 percent of PLHIV knowing their status, 95 percent of those diagnosed receiving ART, and 95 percent of those on ART achieving viral suppression.

As of March 2025, only 55 percent of estimated PLHIV in the Philippines knew their status, 66 percent of diagnosed individuals were on ART, and 40 percent of those on treatment had suppressed viral loads.

Among the newly diagnosed, 1,122, or 22 percent, had advanced HIV disease, reflecting a 12 percent increase from last year's figure in the same quarter.

The DOH also reported a 29 percent rise in the number of pregnant women with HIV, with 45 new cases in the first quarter.

Meanwhile, 190 migrant Filipino workers tested positive for HIV during the same period, most of them men who contracted the virus through sexual contact.

The agency continues to call for expanded access to testing, early diagnosis and consistent treatment to curb the spread and impact of HIV nationwide.