The Philippines recorded 28 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) deaths in August, the Department of Health (DoH) reported Friday.

Since January this year, there have been 464 deaths of those afflicted with HIV, according to the DoH. The department noted that the rise in diagnosed cases had contributed to the increase in recorded HIV deaths, totaling 8,246 since 1984.

Annual fatalities have steadily increased, from fewer than 100 before 2011 to more than 400 by 2015, reaching 879 in 2022, it added. The majority of the deaths were of males aged 25 to 34, with more than half (53 percent) caused by complications from being immuno-compromised or having advanced HIV disease (AHD).

This month, a person living with HIV passed away in Cagayan Valley, six years after being diagnosed. At the time of his death, the patient had multiple medical conditions related to a very high HIV viral load and resistance to antiretroviral (ARV) treatment.

The intake of ARVs and follow-up treatments were not continuous. The patient was admitted to the hospital on 9 September as a confirmed case of mpox. However, the DoH said mpox was not the cause of death.

Latest DoH data showed there were 40,934 reported cases of advanced HIV, representing 30 percent of all cumulative cases since 1984. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines AHD as a CD4 cell count of fewer than 200 cells/mm³ or WHO stage 3 or 4 in adults and adolescents.

“All children younger than five years are considered to have advanced HIV disease,” the DoH explained. “This includes both individuals presenting to care who are antiretroviral therapy naive and those returning to care after interrupted treatment.”