The Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) has raised concern over the increasing number of young people diagnosed with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), saying that of more than 5,000 identified HIV cases in the first quarter of the year, 30 were younger than 15 years old at the time of diagnosis.
CWC planning officer Normina Mojica adds that for those in the 15 to 24 age bracket, a total of 1,686 cases of HIV were recorded in the same period.
“It’s disheartening because when I started in CWC in 1996, we were only dealing with six cases a month. Now, there are 57 cases daily – and among those, the statistics involving the youth are even higher,” Mojica said.
Earlier in June, the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the World Health Organization noted that the Philippines has the fastest growing number of HIV cases in the Asia-Pacific region. The number of new HIV cases went up by 550 percent from 4,400 in 2010 to 29,600 in 2024.
The two institutions pointed out the “worrisome” situation that a third of newly diagnosed HIV cases in the first quarter of 2025 are among young Filipinos aged 15 to 24 years.
“The numbers paint a stark picture that demands our immediate attention and coordinated action across all levels of government and society,” said Dr. Louie Ocampo, UNAIDS country director.
Although different efforts are already in place to address issues concerning children living with HIV or those at risk of being infected, including the Philippine National AIDS council discussing the possibility of amending Republic Act No. 11166 or the HIV and AIDS Policy Act to address the treatment of children living with HIV, the worrying numbers indicate the need for more action, particularly in efforts to teach comprehensive sexual education to children, which is one way to protect young people.
We simply can no longer close your eyes and cover our ears, pretending that there is no crisis, simply because the obvious solutions could offend the sensibilities of some, who may not even be affected. This continuous rise in HIV infections, especially among the young, should be inexcusable, especially because other countries have managed to summon the political will and wherewithal to contain it. Why can’t the Philippines do the same?*
