In response to the rising cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in the Philippines, the Department of Health (DOH), in collaboration with the Philippine National AIDS Council (PNAC), officially launched the “Undetectable = Untransmittable Campaign” during the 2024 Philippine World AIDS Day commemoration to fight HIV/AIDS stigma and effectively raise awareness about prevention, testing, and treatment.
The campaign counters stigma and opens conversations about HIV/AIDS prevention.
The public is reminded that regular testing in primary care facilities, local clinics, health centers, and mobile testing units can be accessed in confidence.
“Practice safe sex, regularly undergo HIV testing, and encourage all your peers to do the same.”
“Early detection is key to managing the virus and improving health outcomes. Practice safe sex, regularly undergo HIV testing, and encourage all your peers to do the same,” Health Secretary Ted Herbosa stressed.
The urgent call for treatment adherence if tested positive for HIV is also part of the campaign, as well as practicing safe sex such as using condoms consistently and using oral Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) to reduce risk of contracting HIV. PrEP has been shown to be highly effective in preventing HIV infection, particularly for those at higher risk, such as individuals with multiple sexual partners.
This intensified campaign is to alleviate the latest Philippine HIV estimates which show that by the end of 2024, People Living with HIV (PLHIV) in the country is estimated to hit 215,400 count.
Of the estimated PLHIV, 131,335 (61%) cases have been diagnosed or laboratory-confirmed and currently living or not reported to have died, as of September 2024. Further, 88,544 (67%) PLHIV are currently on life-saving Antiretroviral Therapy (ART), of which, 39,003 (44%) PLHIV have been tested for viral load (VL) in the past 12 months. Among those tested for VL, 34,252 (88%) achieved viral suppression, which means that the virus was effectively controlled in their bodies that it is undetectable.
Moreover, 132,776 cases, which were males, comprised 94% of the total reported cases. While 7,876 cases were females, which comprised the remaining 6%.
By age group, 471 cases (<1%) were below 15 years old, 41,219 cases (30%) were among the youth aged 15-24 years old, 69,808 cases (50%) were 25-34 years old, 24,478 cases (18%) were 35-49 years old, and 3,610 cases (3%) were 50 years and older.
“We need to work together to intensify and scale up our HIV response to stop this epidemic.”
“We need to work together to intensify and scale up our HIV response to stop this epidemic. Guided by the 8-Point Action Agenda for HIV and AIDS, we must commit to a whole-of-society and whole-of-government approach in achieving our goals of ending the epidemic. We should strive to work through multi-sectoral and multidisciplinary processes, exploring innovative strategies and interventions that would be most impactful in addressing our country’s HIV challenges”, said Dr. Joselito Feliciano, PNAC Executive Director.
Based on the AIDS Epidemic Model (AEM) estimates, if prevention and interventions won’t scale up, the number of PLHIV could reach approximately 448,000 by 2030.
“It is only through collective action that we will be able to end the HIV epidemic in the country. We must all work together to ensure that those who need it most–especially our PLHIVs and other key populations–are able to access our HIV services without difficulty or stigma, dahil sa Bagong Pilipinas, Bawat Buhay Mahalaga,” Herbosa added.
