295 HIV cases in June

SOME 295 new cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) were reported in June, the second highest reported in a month, a lawmaker pushing for a stronger HIV/AIDS Prevention Law said.

LPG Marketers’ Association (LPG-MA) party-list Rep. Arnel Ty said a total of 1,600 HIV cases were reported in the country from January to June, up 584 cases or 57 percent from the 1,016 reported in the first half 2011.

“New HIV infections have doubled over the last 24 months, considering that in the first semester of 2010, only 809 cases were detected,” said Rep. Arnel Ty, of the sectoral party LPG Marketers’ Association (LPG-MA).

He said the June cases were the second highest-ever reported in a month, after the record 313 infections logged in March.

Citing National Epidemiology Center data, Ty said among the 295 new cases, 28 were overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) infected through sexual contact; and 20 were injecting drug users contaminated due to needle-sharing.

Ty said another full-blown AIDS case, a 35-year-old male, was lost in June, bringing the known deaths this year to 10.

The party-list legislator remains hopeful that the Philippines will have a new and stronger HIV/AIDS Prevention Law this year.

“We still have high hopes that Congress will act positively on proposed new legislation that will bolster the war on HIV/ AIDS,” he said.

He was referring to House Bill 5312, which proposes the launch of a new National HIV and AIDS Control Plan, with P400 million in fresh fund.

Ty and four of his colleagues in the House of Representatives jointly authored the bill, which has a counterpart measure in the Senate introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago.