Marcos ‘interested’ in declaring HIV a national emergency

Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Teodoro Herbosa on Wednesday, 4 June, said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is "interested" in declaring the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) a national public health emergency amid a sharp rise in new cases, particularly among young Filipinos.

On Tuesday, the DOH reported a staggering 500 percent increase in HIV cases in the country.

The number of confirmed daily HIV cases from January to March this year reached 57, placing the Philippines as the country with the highest number of new HIV cases in the Western Pacific Region.

In an ambush interview, Herbosa explained that declaring a national public health emergency would implement a "whole-of-government approach," similar to the strategy used during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"However, I can't order other agencies, only the President can. That's why I'm suggesting a declaration of a public health emergency," he told reporters.

"I already have a proposed document on what steps to take for the national government... It was very similar to Covid-19. Everybody was helping, the private sector, the media disseminating information," he added.

Herbosa clarified that he does not see the need to form a new task force to address HIV.

He added that a Cabinet meeting with the President to discuss the potential declaration is "already scheduled."

"He's interested. However, we just had to postpone the meeting three times because there are other things that he had to prioritize first," the Health chief said.

If left unaddressed, the Philippines could see over 400,000 HIV cases by the end of 2025, according to DOH projections.

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