HIV cases on the rise in Philippines

Manila: The Philippines recorded 449 new HIV-positive cases in July, the highest number in a month since the first case was reported in 1984, the health department said.

The July figure was 62 percent higher compared to the same period last year, Xinhua cited the Philippines HIV and AIDS Registry as saying Sunday.

"Most of the cases (96 percent) were male. The median age was 27 years (age range: 5-60 years). The 20-29 year (57 percent) age group had the most number of cases," it said.

The latest HIV-positive cases brought the January-July figure to 2,772 cases.

From January 1984 to July 2013, 814 people with HIV died out of 14,474 cases of infection, the health department said.

IANS