ILOILO CITY — The Department of Health Western Visayas has reported an uptick in the number of individuals diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus .Data show that the region logged an additional 1,131 new HIV diagnoses from January to December 2023, with Iloilo province having the greatest number of cases with 279, followed by Negros Occidental with 240 and Iloilo City with 150.Bacolod City registered 125 cases; Capiz, 135; Aklan, 112; Antique, 70; and the island province of Guimaras, 20.
'In Western Visayas, our estimated number of PLHIV to be diagnosed this year 2024 may reach 15,000. From January to December 2023, a total of 1,131 new cases were diagnosed, which is an observable surge compared to previous years,' she said.The DoH-6 urged the public to get tested for HIV and for PLHIV to take advantage of the free services and treatment offered by the government.'We have available HIV treatment facilities in Western Visayas across our various provinces.