EFFORTS to declare a public health emergency over the Philippines’ rising human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases are under way, but Cabinet-level discussions have been repeatedly delayed, according to the country’s Health chief.

Health Secretary Teodoro J. Herbosa told a palace briefing on Thursday he had detailed the proposal in a memo to President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., and Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin.

“Our meetings with the Cabinet are already scheduled, but they’ve been delayed due to other pressing issues,” he said.

Mr. Herbosa said the President must issue a directive to strengthen all strategies under the government’s anti-HIV plan.

The Department of Health (DoH) has launched a patient appointment system at San Lazaro Hospital in Manila to make it easier for people, especially those living with HIV, to schedule consultations and access free antiretroviral (ARV) maintenance drugs.

The system ensures regular consultations and treatment, alongside counseling services to support long, healthy lives for people with HIV.

In addition to free ARV medication, the agency also provides free HIV screening and confirmatory tests at various HIV hubs. Knowing one’s HIV status is crucial for early treatment and preventing disease progression, Mr. Herbosa said.

He said HIV no longer has to be a death sentence since with proper testing and maintenance medication, it could be managed like chronic conditions such as hypertension or diabetes.

Earlier, the DoH reported that HIV cases in the country have multiplied six times, prompting the agency to call on the President to declare a national public health emergency.

It recorded 5,101 newly diagnosed HIV patients in the first quarter. The number of confirmed cases averaged 57 per day, the highest daily rate in the Western Pacific Region.

Mr. Herbosa said among the recorded cases was a 12-year-old from Palawan province who had been engaging in unprotected sex, making the child the youngest reported case.

In a separate statement on Thursday, nongovernmental group Oxfam Pilipinas urged the government to implement sexuality education as a long-term solution to the surge in HIV cases among people aged 15 to 25 years.

The group cited the need for urgent action as HIV infections continue to rise, particularly among young Filipinos.

Sex education provides age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate reproductive health education for adolescents aged 10 to 19, Oxfam said, citing the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health (RPRH) law.

“Young people need accurate and appropriate knowledge based on science to understand themselves and avoid the risk of contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted infections,” it said in Filipino.

Sex education provides essential knowledge, guided by parents or guardians and implemented in accordance with government agency guidelines, it added.

Oxfam also said the widespread implementation of sex education could help reduce teenage pregnancies. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana