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QC notes jump in HIV cases after logging 421 from Jan-May 2025
Quezon City on Sunday said it recorded 421 HIV cases from January to May 2025, 7.7% higher compared to the same period last year.
In a statement, the Quezon City local government unit (LGU) said there were 391 HIV cases from January to May in 2024.
'35% or 149 of those diagnosed with HIV this year are among the Young Key Population or aged between 15-24 years old, 40% of whom are students,' the Quezon City LGU said.
The city said 21,000 people took HIV tests from January to May 2025.
The LGU added that the 2025 figure is 16.7% higher compared to the same period in 2024, 22.5% more than in 2023, and 60% more than in 2022.
'We are strengthening our testing capacities so that we will be able to find those with HIV and link them to treatment,' Quezon City Epidemiologist Dr. Rolando Cruz said.
'More tests mean more people are aware of their status, and that allows us to respond faster. The first step in fighting any epidemic is information,' he added.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), HIV is a virus that attacks the body's immune system. It can be transmitted through an exchange of body fluids, including blood, breast milk, semen, and vaginal secretions.
Addressing HIV cases in QC
The Quezon City LGU has established several programs to address the increasing cases of HIV in the city of 3.318 million people.
This includes the establishment of Social Hygiene and Sundown Clinics in five of its six districts and the opening of the Klinika Talipapa in District 6.
These clinics offer free and confidential services such as HIV & AIDS testing, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP), Antiretroviral Therapy (ART), counseling, and testing and treatment for other sexually transmitted infections.
Klinika Eastwood's 'Drive, Park, and Test' program also allows the public to receive testing from their vehicles.
Meanwhile, the Quezon City Service Delivery Network (SDN) refers persons living with HIV (PLHIV) to testing centers and treatment hubs.
It is an interconnected system of health facilities, community-based and non-governmental organizations, and civil society groups that helps People Living with HIV (PLHIV) in get the necessary services they need.
'The network supports psychosocial interventions, treatment adherence counseling, and community mobilization, especially in underserved and high-risk populations,' the LGU said.
Together with AIDS Support House (HASH), the Quezon City Sangguniang Kabataan launched Hakdaw Kabataan, a program that trains youth leaders to be Community-Based HIV Screening Motivators that raise HIV awareness.
'In 2024, the program trained over 60 young volunteers and tested an impressive 1,940 individuals in the same year,' the Quezon City LGU said.
'With the significant increase of cases among ages 15 to 24, we make sure that all of them are receiving the treatment they need in our city's Social Hygiene Clinics,' Quezon Mayor Joy Belmonte said.
Under the 'Bahagi Ka ng Solusyon' campaign, Quezon City residents were also called to actively participate in HIV and AIDS prevention.
'You are not just the most affected, you are also our most powerful weapon. By stepping up, speaking out, and getting tested, you are helping build a healthier, more livable, and stigma-free Quezon City,' Belmonte said. —Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News
