110 new HIV cases logged in Cebu City in first 1st quarter of 2025

Local

CEBU City is seeing a growing number of young adults being diagnosed with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

The Cebu City Health Department (CHD) reported on Tuesday, June 3, that 110 new HIV cases were recorded in the first quarter of 2025, with 63 of those cases logged in March alone.

Dr. Kimberly Mae Sanchez, social hygiene physician at the CHD, said during the MyTV Openline News Media Forum that most of the new infections involved individuals aged 15 to 34.

She said roughly 27 percent of the newly diagnosed individuals were between 15 and 24 years old.

The health official attributed the rise in cases to increased access to HIV testing and the continued high-risk behavior of sexually active individuals.

According to the report, the leading mode of transmission remains unprotected sex, followed by mother-to-child transmission.

The sharing of infected needles is also being investigated as a possible source of infection in a few cases.

The surge in new HIV cases comes amid a broader national crisis. The Department of Health (DOH) recently urged the government to declare a public health emergency after the Philippines logged a 500 percent increase in daily new infections during the first quarter of 2025, with an average of 57 cases reported daily.

The country now has the highest growth rate of HIV cases in the Western Pacific Region.

Cebu City’s health authorities emphasized that while testing has improved and more people are seeking care, the demographic shift is troubling.

The younger the patients, the longer they are expected to live with HIV, increasing the long-term demand for treatment and support services.

Cebu City residents are encouraged to access free testing and counseling services offered by social hygiene clinics, which also provide condoms and other preventive tools.

Sanchez stressed the importance of early detection and consistent safe sex practices, especially among the youth.

Central Visayas continues to be among the regions most affected by HIV, ranking fourth nationwide. From January to September 2024 alone, the DOH recorded 1,011 new HIV cases in the region.

Since the first case was reported in 1984, Central Visayas has documented over 18,000 cases.

Across the Philippines, a total of 4,595 HIV-positive cases were confirmed in the third quarter of 2024.

The majority of cases were males aged 15 to 34, with male-to-male sexual contact remaining the primary mode of transmission.

While antiretroviral therapy (ART) access has improved, the region also recorded the second-highest rate of individuals lost to follow-up, next to Metro Manila.(TGP)