HIV cases soar in Philippines

Philippine medical authorities yesterday warned of a looming "public health emergency" as HIV infections have soared this year, with young males especially hard-hit.

On average, 57 new cases a day were tallied in the country of 117 million people over the first three months of 2025, a 50 percent jump from a year earlier, health department data shows.

"We now have the highest number of new cases here in the Western Pacific," Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said. "What is frightening is, our youth make up many of the new cases," he said. The health department said 95 percent of newly reported cases were male.