Browsing: HIV

Medical Channel Asia presents the weekly Asian medical news bulletin, bringing you essential healthcare news from across the region. This week’s bulletin covers the Philippines’ and Indonesia’s response to the rising respiratory cases in China, HIV in Malaysia and more. 

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health, voiced serious concern over the escalating human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases in the Philippines, particularly among teenagers. As of May 2023, there were a total of 1,256 new HIV cases reported, with an average of 48 cases per day. The data disclosed by the HIV/AIDS and ART Registry of the Philippines revealed that 26 percent of individuals had an “advanced HIV infection” at the time of diagnosis, including 20 percent of cases among the youth.

The Philippines, grappling with an alarming TB burden, has witnessed a stark 37 percent decline in TB case notifications in 2020 due to the pandemic. However, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is stepping in with crucial support, launching a dedicated TB Recovery Plan to bolster the National TB Program’s efforts in combating this scourge. We also spoke with Dr. Hansel E. Ybañez, field operations manager for USAID.

In an unprecedented feat, a team of medical experts from Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) successfully performed a kidney transplant on an HIV patient, marking a first in Malaysian medical history. Six months after the operation, the patient is thriving, and the landmark case has sparked vital conversations about healthcare equality and discrimination.

The Songkhla Provincial Public Health Office confirmed the first monkeypox (mpox) case in the region. A 31-year-old Thai man from Songkhla was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday, and the diagnosis was made the following day. The hospital followed the prevention guidelines by isolating the patient. The health office initiated contact tracing, identifying one low-risk and one high-risk contact, while others were advised to self-monitor.

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are a growing concern worldwide, particularly in Asia, where high population density and varying levels of sexual health education contribute to their prevalence. This article will shed light on the most common STDs in Asia, their symptoms, and the importance of early detection and prevention.