INSTEAD of addressing major health issues, the Department of Health (DOH) warded off public apprehension on what appears more like a ticking time bomb amid new waves of infectious diseases.
“There is no cause for alarm,” says the DOH despite a spike in HIV, monkeypox (mpox), and COVID-19 cases in the Philippines for which health advocates warned of another economic standstill should another lockdown take effect.
The most recent admission came from no less than Health Secretary Ted Herbosa who hinted at the January to April figures corresponding to a sexually transmitted disease referred to as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
HIV ON THE LOOSE
As per DOH figures, the DOH recorded 6,703 confirmed HIV cases from January to April 2025, which translates to a whopping 500 percent increase as compared to the recorded HIV cases for the same period last year.
Most of the newly reported infections were among males, with 33 percent aged 15–24 and 47 percent aged 25–34, according to DOH data. The youngest HIV-positive is a 12-year old sexually active child from Palawan.
Herbosa himself admitted that the DOH has submitted a recommendation to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to seriously consider the declaration of a national health emergency on HIV, as advised by the Philippine National AIDS Council.
RISING MONKEYPOX
From 2024 to date, the DOH has recorded a total of 911 confirmed mpox cases across the country.
The first human mpox case in the country was recorded and confirmed in July 2022, involving a traveler who had recently returned from abroad.
Recent reports indicate that the Clade II variant of the mpox virus, associated with less severe infections, is circulating in the Philippines. The mpox virus typically causes less severe infections.
The virus is primarily transmitted through close, prolonged skin-to-skin contact, including sexual contact, and through contact with contaminated surfaces or materials. Symptoms include a skin rash or mucosal lesions, fever, headache, muscle aches, and swollen lymph nodes.
There is currently no treatment approved specifically for mpox virus infections.
PERSISTENT COVID
From January to May, the DOH has recorded 1,774 confirmed COVID cases in the country. The figure, the agency said, is way below the 14,074 case load covering last year.
Despite the decline, the DOH claims to be “closely monitoring COVID-19 trends in Southeast Asia, where some areas have reported a spike in infections.
While the DOH did not specify the affected areas, there have been reports of a rise in the number of new COVID cases in Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand this year.
“We are actively monitoring COVID-19 trends including the recently reported increases in specific areas of Southeast Asia,” reads part of a DOH press statement.
There is no cause for alarm though, the agency added.
VIROLOGY CENTER
In a recent congressional hearing, Senator Bong Go, in his capacity as Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health, reiterated the urgent need to strengthen the country’s capability to address infectious diseases.
To start with, Go called on the administration to establish a Virology Institute and Center for Disease Control that would strengthen research and development on potential disease-causing agents and medical surveillance.
“What we need to do is to institutionalize infrastructures to combat emerging health threats,” added Go in reference to the passage of the Senate Bill 2893, or the Virology Institute of the Philippines Act.
Once enacted, the Virology Institute of the Philippines (VIP) will strengthen the country’s virology research capabilities, promote vaccine self-reliance, and ensure a more proactive approach to combating emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.
NO TO COMPLACENCY
Addressing recent public health concerns, Senator Bong Go urged vigilance even as he cautioned against complacency and reminded Filipinos to act before a potential outbreak escalates.
“Alam naman natin minsan na nagiging kumpyansa tayo. Pero kung mapipigilan natin sa lalong madaling panahon ay ‘wag po itong kumalat, at ‘wag na po umabot sana sa isang pandemya muli. Lessons learned po tayo. Dapat po’y unahin natin parati ang prevention
His remarks come amid renewed alerts from local government units following monkeypox outbreaks in multiple areas, the country’s worsening HIV crisis, and that of the renewed uptick in COVID-19 cases driven largely by the highly transmissible Omicron subvariant NB.1.8.1 in neighboring countries such as India, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and others.