The Department of Health (DOH) is proposing to declare human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) a national public health emergency as the country’s HIV cases surge by 500 percent.

From January to March this year, the number of confirmed HIV cases reached an average of 57 per day, making the Philippines the country with the highest number of new HIV cases in the Western Pacific Region.

“Our biggest problem is not mpox, but the spread of HIV,” DOH Secretary Ted Herbosa said.

“We’ve seen a 500 percent increase in HIV cases among those aged 15 to 25,” he added.

Herbosa noted that the youngest person diagnosed with HIV this year was only 12 years old, from Palawan.

Sexual contact remains the predominant mode of transmission, but since 2007, it has largely shifted to being among males who have sex with males, according to the DOH.

In response, the agency is urging the public to get tested for HIV, emphasizing that testing is free and confidential.

To prevent transmission, the DOH also recommends the use of condoms, lubricants, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), and other preventive measures.

If the spread of HIV is not contained, the Philippines could record more than 400,000 HIV cases by the end of 2025.

As of 2024, the country has logged a total of 215,000 individuals living with HIV.