FOR the first time this year, the number of new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases did not reach the 1,000 mark in April.
Based on the April 2019 HIV/AIDS Registry of the Philippines, there were 840 new HIV cases recorded in the said month.
The number is an improvement compared to the new HIV cases reported in January (1,249); February (1,013); and March (1,172).
It is also lower than the 924 new HIV cases recorded in April 2018.
Last year, nine of the 12 months had fewer than 1,000 new HIV cases.
There are now 4,274 new HIV cases, including 729 AIDS cases, and 281 deaths in the first four months of the year.
Of the total cases in April 2019, 20 percent or 165 cases had clinical manifestations of being advanced HIV infection or acquired immunodeficiency deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
The Department of Health (DOH) also reported 189 deaths from HIV/AIDS for the month of April 2019.
Sexual contact remains the predominant mode of transmission with 819 (98 percent).
Male-to-male sex accounted for 475 cases; followed by 203 cases of sex with both male and female; and 141 from male-to-female sex.
Another mode of transmission, needle sharing among injecting drug users, accounted for five cases.
There were also three cases of mother-to-child transmission while 13 other cases had no data on the mode of transmission, said the health department.
Almost one-third (32 percent, 271) were from the National Capital Region (NCR); followed by Calabarzon or Region 4A (16 percent, 137); Central Luzon or Region 3 (11 percent, 92); Central Visayas or Region 7 (8.0 percent, 65); and Western Visayas or Region 6 (7.0 percent, 55), thus comprising the top five regions with the most number of newly diagnosed cases for the month.
Seventy eight overseas Filipino workers were diagnosed with HIV with all but two infected through sexual contact (24 male-female sex, 32 male-male sex, and 20 sex with both males and females).
Since 1984, there have already been 66,303 HIV cases, with 7,827 AIDS cases and 3,335 deaths. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)