MANILA - The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday recommended declaring human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) a national public health emergency amid the 500 percent surge in HIV cases among the country's youth.

In a video message on Tuesday, DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said the significant increase was recorded among individuals aged 15 to 25 years.

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The DOH reported that the number of confirmed HIV cases daily reached 57 from January to March this year, the highest in the Western Pacific region.

According to DOH data, newly diagnosed HIV cases have more than doubled over the past 10 years, from just 21 daily cases in 2014 to 48 in 2024.

"There were 56 cases per day from January to April 2025, 44 percent higher than the same period last year," the DOH said.

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In the Philippines, diagnosed HIV cases are getting younger. Data showed that the predominant age group of confirmed cases was between 25 and 34 years old since 2006.

Sexual contact remains the predominant mode of transmission, but has shifted to largely being among males having sex with males since 2007, the data further showed.