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| A medical technologist extracts blood for HIV screening test from a male client said he had sexual contact. |
The Southeast Asian nation saw a 140 percent increase in new cases from
2010 to 2016, even though the annual number of new infections in Asia-Pacific
declined by 13 percent over the same period, according to the report.
"The Philippines has a small window of opportunity to act now and
stop a major HIV epidemic from taking hold," Eamonn Murphy, director of
UNAIDS Regional Support Team said in a statement.
He called on the government to focus anti-HIV efforts on those at most
risk.
Genesis Samonte of the Philippine health department's epidemiology
bureau said eight out of 10 reported HIV cases were among men having sex with
men (MSM).
"Risky behaviours are starting very young," she said, adding
that the MSM group on average started having sex at 16 and anal sex at 17
before they have started using condoms or taken HIV tests, increasing the risk
of infection.
The report also showed that only 35 percent of MSM had comprehensive
knowledge of HIV transmission and prevention.
Samonte said there were indications that a rise in the use of the
Internet and cellphones was allowing more young people to have multiple
partners, further fuelling the risk of contracting HIV.
Cases will continue to increase and burden the Philippine health system
if the nation does not invest in prevention and treatment, according to
Samonte.
Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial said that "HIV is one of the top
health priorities for the government,", that the budget for the disease
had been sharply increased and her department aimed to start reversing the
trend in five years.
The government was directing its services
towards MSM and transgender women, and opening clinics in cities where the bulk
of the new HIV cases were detected, Ubial added.
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