THE PHILIPPINES registered the fastest-growing HIV epidemic in the Asia-Pacific region, according to a United Nations body, which noted that most local cases occurred among young Filipinos.
“The Philippines has the fastest rising HIV epidemic in the region with new infections more than quadrupled since 2010,” the UN Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) said in a press release on developments in HIV prevention programs in four Asia-Pacific countries.
It said that since 2010, new infections among young people in the 15 to 24 age group have increased by 216% in the Philippines.
It was also seen in Papua New Guinea, whose new infections among the age group increased by 51% since 2010.
“A significant proportion of new infections in Cambodia (42%) and Indonesia (48%) are also among young key populations,” UNAIDS said. “This relatively new epidemic among young people stands alongside older, more established epidemics and requires distinct approaches.”
UNAIDS said new infections in Papua New Guinea have increased by 45% since 2010 “and there are acute challenges with respect to access to antenatal care and therefore prevention of mother to child HIV transmission.”
In Indonesia, more than two-thirds of people living with HIV are “not accessing treatment,” UNAIDS said, adding that the country “also faces significant legal and policy challenges to expanding a human rights-based HIV response.”
It noted that Cambodia has achieved almost universal treatment coverage for diagnosed people living with HIV. “It is now working to ensure the remaining 14% of people living with HIV become aware of their status.”
“Epidemics don’t recognize borders. Each country needs to respond to HIV to protect all countries in the region. Strategic funding such as this makes larger investments work better,” Eamonn Murphy, UNAIDS Regional Director for Asia Pacific, said in the release.
“Let’s focus on the theory of change, ensuring we are not duplicating but complementary or accelerating other programmes.”
Among the strategies that the four Asia-Pacific countries have used are community-led monitoring, pre-exposure prophylaxis, virtual interventions, self-testing and community testing, UNAIDS said.
“Teams have also engaged in political advocacy and community capacity building to create a more enabling environment for people to access HIV services,” it added.
The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has allocated AU$11.65 million from 2021 to 2023 for the Indo-Pacific HIV Prevention Program, which “aims to lower new infections and address inequalities that are slowing progress toward ending AIDS in Cambodia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the Philippines.” — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza