MANILA, Philippines — The coronavirus pandemic is derailing the country’s fight against AIDS as fewer Filipinos who may be living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) get tested, Anakalusugan Rep. Mike Defensor said Monday.
Defensor, who serves as the vice chairperson of the House committee on health, said that the Philippines “is facing a new surge in HIV cases on account of ‘disruptions’ caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Citing National AIDS Registry statistics, Defensor said that at the height of lockdowns from April to June 2020, only 934 new HIV cases were detected countrywide, down 68 percent from the 2,938 spotted in the same three-month period in 2019.
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Keep on reading: COVID-19 pandemic derailing PH fight vs HIV, AIDS — Defensor