A new assessment from the Department of Health (DOH) suggests that the country may close the year with an estimated 252,800 people living with HIV, a figure that underscores the continuing rise in infections nationwide. The projection was highlighted in a report by the DOH’s Epidemiology Bureau, later shared online by Quezon City’s health monitoring office.
The latest count shows that 149,375 individuals had been formally diagnosed or laboratory-confirmed as of September. Most of them are receiving medical care: 67 percent are undergoing antiretroviral therapy (ART), while 57 percent have undergone viral load testing within the past year, a key measurement of how much HIV is present in a patient’s bloodstream.
The DOH stressed that the country’s efforts remain behind global benchmarks. The Philippines has adopted the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS’ three-tier target—commonly known as the 95-95-95 goals—which seeks to ensure that by 2030, 95 percent of all PLHIVs are diagnosed, 95 percent of those diagnosed are on treatment, and 95 percent of those in treatment achieve viral suppression.
Even as these long-term goals are pursued, data from the same report show a steady rise in new infections. Between July and September alone, health officials recorded 5,583 newly confirmed cases, a 22 percent increase compared to the same months last year. The daily average now stands at 61 cases, also up by 22 percent from last year’s daily count of 50.
The profile of newly diagnosed patients largely reflects previous trends. Of the recent cases, 95 percent involve males. The largest share—42 percent—are individuals aged 25 to 34, followed by those aged 15 to 24, who make up 30 percent. The DOH noted that sexual transmission has remained the dominant mode of infection, accounting for 96 percent of all documented cases from 1984 to 2025.
While cases have climbed, reported deaths among PLHIVs slightly declined in the latest quarter. From July to September, authorities recorded 125 fatalities from any cause, a figure two percent lower than what was reported during the same period last year. Since January 1984, a total of 9,903 deaths among PLHIVs have been logged, with nearly half of those individuals—47 percent—diagnosed at an advanced stage of the infection.
Recent data also point to a gradual shift in disease severity at the time of diagnosis. The proportion of newly confirmed patients already in the advanced stage has dropped, currently standing 18 percent lower compared with levels recorded in 2020.
