The Department of Health (DoH) is urging sexually active people to get tested for human immunodeficiency virus every three months, citing a rapid increase in cases, particularly among young people.
In a radio interview Sunday, DoH Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo said the country’s testing rate is currently at 57 percent, far short of the government’s 95 percent goal.
“You don’t have to wait for HIV symptoms to manifest before you get tested,” Domingo said. He noted that while more people between the ages of 15 and 24 are getting tested, the overall testing rate is still not enough to contain the virus.
Testing and self-test kits are free at DoH-accredited centers.
According to recent DoH data, the Philippines recorded 57 new HIV cases from January to March this year, giving the country the highest number of new cases in the Western Pacific. The department also logged a 500 percent increase in cases among those aged 15 to 25.
In June, the DoH asked President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to declare HIV a national public health emergency.
The agency warned that if the trend continues, the Philippines could see over 400,000 HIV cases by the end of 2025. Last year, about 215,000 people were living with HIV in the country.