DOH: 86 more adolescents, kids confirmed HIV-positive in January

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 13) — There were 86 newly reported cases of HIV among Filipino adolescents and children in January, according to the Department of Health (DOH).

Its recent report showed the tally is out of a total of 1,454 HIV-positive individuals confirmed that month.

Seventy-nine of the new cases were 10 to 19 years old, while seven were kids below 10 years old.

Among the adolescent cases, the DOH said all acquired HIV through sexual contact, except one case that had no data on the mode of transmission.

Meanwhile, those aged 2 to 9 at the time of diagnosis were found to have acquired the virus through vertical transmission — or from an infected pregnant woman to the child she bears.

The DOH added that 39 HIV-positive individuals from different age groups died in January either because of the infection or “due to any cause."

According to the report, eight of these cases were 15 to 24 years old; 22 cases were 25-34 years old; eight cases were 35-49 years old; and one was 50 years old or older.

It also noted that 18, or nearly half, of the newly listed fatalities were from just three regions: Central Luzon, Metro Manila, and Northern Mindanao.

From January 1984 to January 2023, the DOH said a total of 110,736 HIV cases have been recorded in the country, with 6,383 reported deaths.