HUMAN immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/Aids) caused the death of one person in Davao City last March, as the Davao City Reproductive Health and Wellness Center (RHWC) noted a significant increase in the number of cases, with 101 new cases reported.
Based on the data from the Department of Health-Epidemiology Bureau (DOH-EB) provided by Eddie Batoon, community health outreach worker of Aids Society of the Philippines–RHWC Thursday, July 4, March has the highest number of new cases as compared to January (15) and February (24).
The March figure is based on the confirmatory data that RHWC submitted to DOH-EB.
Of the 101, six are female, while 95 are male. Most are in the 25-34 years old bracket with a total of 52, followed by 15-24 (45), 35-49 (11) and 50 older (three).
DOH-EB's data also showed that the highest number of the mode of transmission is males having sex with males at 63, males having sex with both males and females at 27, male-female sex at 10, and unknown (one).
HIV/Aids cases among the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from January to March stood at 11.
With the continuous effort of the City Government in encouraging those who are susceptible to HIV/Aids to subject themselves to testing, a total of 1,594 people living with HIV (PLHIV) have already accessed to the free Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART).
Meanwhile, from January to March 2019, there have been a total of 140 cases.
RHWC said there have been 2,805 HIV/Aids cases recorded in Davao City since 1984.