HIV diagnoses drop, but 128,000 Filipinos may be unaware they’re infected - Rappler
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BAGUIO, Philippines – The number of HIV diagnoses reported in the Philippines fell sharply in the second quarter of 2026.
But at a forum held in Baguio City on September 17, health workers and community advocates turned to a harder question: How do you reach people who have never been tested?
The Department of Health (DOH) recorded 2,994 new diagnoses from April to June, down 39% from the same period in 2025. That is a count of people diagnosed, not necessarily people who acquired HIV during those three months. Fewer reported diagnoses alone cannot establish that fewer infections occurred.
The DOH estimates that 288,000 people in the country are living with HIV. As of June, 159,997, or 56%, had been diagnosed. The gap suggests that about 128,000 people may be unaware of their status.
The figures drove the first HIV Watch Media Conference, organized by AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Philippines in Baguio City. National and local health officials, youth representatives, and organizations led by people living with HIV discussed how to turn the quarterly report into better access to testing and care.
“Every quarter, important HIV data becomes available,” said AHF Philippines country program manager Dr. Ryan Guinaran. “Our challenge is ensuring that these numbers lead to concrete action from government, local leaders, communities, and all sectors involved in the response.”
The gap is visible in the Cordillera. Of an estimated 2,700 people living with HIV in the region, 1,403, or 52%, had been diagnosed, according to the DOH report.
Nationally, 111,154 people were receiving antiretroviral treatment as of June.
The report also listed 32,610 people as lost to follow-up, meaning they had not returned to a treatment facility within 30 days of their expected medicine refill.
The numbers point to two tasks for local health services: helping people learn their status and making it easier for those diagnosed to stay in care.
At the forum, participants called for active local AIDS councils, stronger community organizations, youth-focused education, and a greater role for people living with HIV in decisions about services.
Treatment can control HIV and protect health. Of the people on treatment who received a viral load test in the past 12 months, 97% had a suppressed viral load. But only 59% of those on treatment had such a test recorded during that period, leaving the outcome unknown for many others. A viral load test measures the amount of HIV in the blood and helps show whether treatment is working.
Young people are part of the picture. Those aged 15 to 24 accounted for 918, or 31%, of the quarter’s newly reported diagnoses. People aged 25 to 34 made up the largest group, with 1,294 cases.
There were signs of progress in prevention. The DOH recorded 9,640 new enrollments in pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, during the quarter, up 10% from the previous three months. PrEP is medication used by people without HIV to reduce their risk. – Rappler.com
