AIDS a neighborhood concern in many areas in Davao del Norte as HIV cases rise to 42/day in ’22

DAVAO City—filipinos need not go far in looking for the face of a person living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes the dreaded Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).

“HIV infection is no longer a far-off concern of anyone as it now becomes a neighborhood situation worthy of everybody’s attention regardless of ethnicity, religion and sex,” said Flor Lucas, head of the Davao del Norte Provincial Health Office Population Program Division.

She said the Philippine Registry on HIV reveals that the number of those diagnosed with HIV used to be just nine per day nationally. “This had increased over time to 30 newly diagnosed with HIV per day in 2017, to 34 per day in 2021 and to as many as 42 per day in 2022.”

Davao City remained on top with a registered number of 4,171 from 1993 to 2022 but Lucas said, “It has become a concern that Tagum City came next highest in number of HIV cases with a total of 769 from 1993 to 2022.”

High incidence was noted in the 25 to 34-year-old age bracked and the 15 to 24-year-old brackets of the population “who are usually are sexually active and whose sexual curiosity is naturally extreme,” Lucas said.

Cases are still high among men having sex with men though there were also positive cases among male having sex with female. There were already cases of children getting positive of HIV, which they may have acquired from their mother.

“All provinces in Davao Region, including Davao City, have registered HIV cases and all municipalities in Davao del Norte HIV cases,” she said.

“The number is increasing, so health workers, volunteer educators and advocates must go on double time,” Lucas said.

Rae Katherine Apura, health educator of Tagum City Health Office confirmed that “indeed Tagum City contributed a large portion of the HIV cases in Davao del Norte.”

She pointed to the high awareness level on the availability of free HIV testing and the heightened community information and education drive on HIV that may explain why there was a big registered number in Tagum City.