DOH to ramp-up testing, info campaign on HIV amid rising cases

Metro Manila, Philippines - The Department of Health (DOH) is targeting to boost testing and information campaigns as part of an improved government response on rising cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), especially among the Filipino youth.

Health Secretary Ted Herbosa underscored an urgent declaration of a national public health concern due to HIV from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is needed to address the health situation.

“Meron ng executive order in the Philippine National AIDS Council that controls ‘yung mga program sa HIV, pero mukhang hindi siya effective because may increase pa rin tayo,” Herbosa told reporters on Wednesday, June 4.

“And then, mukhang iba na ‘yung problema, bumabata, so, we need more help,” he added.

[Translation: There’s an executive order creating the Philippine National AIDS Council that controls the programs for HIV, but they seem to be ineffective because of increases. And then, the problem now has changed, with cases getting younger, so we need more help.]

Herbosa made the call to Marcos on Tuesday amid a 564 percent increase in newly diagnosed cases of HIV in the country from 2010 to 2024.

He said he already has a proposal on the steps needed to be done by the government, which may be similar to the action plan during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While he said Marcos was “interested” to be briefed on the country’s HIV situation, the meeting has been postponed thrice already. The secretary said he is waiting for the meeting to be set in stone.

“Even without the declaration, we have to act, we have to work,” Herbosa said. “We need to keep on educating people, we need to keep testing people, we have to give ARVs (anti-retroviral drugs) to people living with HIV.”

From January to March this year, the DOH said around 55% of the estimated people living with HIV in the country have been diagnosed or laboratory-confirmed. Of the number of diagnosed people, around 66 percent are on life-saving antiretroviral therapy.

The DOH chief also said his agency is set to provide learning modules to the Department of Education, so that teachers can also help in educating students on HIV.

Adolescent clinics set up by the DOH in public schools previously used for information campaigns on child pregnancy will be used for HIV awareness as well.

Herbosa also said the country’s venereologists have reported rising cases of sexually transmitted infections among the youth.

“I think we have a generation that’s really very sexually active,” he told reporters. “We just hope that they can be taught… safer practices and less risky behavior. Know the status of your partner and then be able to protect yourself.”

Call to action

Advocates also reacted to the issue. Miss Universe Philippines 2025 Ahtisa Manalo said that the 500 percent increase in HIV cases was “more than just a statistic—it is a call to action.”

“This dramatic increase reflects a lack of access to accurate, compassionate, and age-appropriate sexual health education,” said Manalo, explaining that proper education helps young people to make informed choices.

“We must end the stigma, open up conversations, and ensure that every young Filipino has access to life-saving information,” she said.

Non-profit organization HIV & AIDS Support House, Inc. also said the increasing HIV numbers “could be because of more people getting tested.”

“With more people getting tested, we’re also seeing more HIV-positive results,” the group said.

“An HIV-positive result does not mean failure. It’s not the end. It’s the beginning of access to treatment, support, and a healthy future,” it said.

Herbosa said the DOH is trying to make condoms more affordable. Most condoms are highly effective in preventing transmission of HIV and sexually transmitted infections.

He said there is also continued assistance from the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief for the country’s HIV programs such as testing, technical assistance, and antiretroviral drugs.

On Wednesday, the DOH also launched the Patient Appointment System for the HIV/AIDS department in San Lazaro Hospital in Manila.

Through the system, patients can secure appointments in getting free antiretroviral drugs and free HIV screening.