Philippines grapples with sharp, alarming HIV epidemic in Asia-Pacific

MANILA, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines is confronting the fastest-rising human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic in the Asia-Pacific region, with an average of 61 Filipinos diagnosed every day this year, up 22 percent from last year, prompting urgent calls for more decisive national action. The World Health Organization (WHO) earlier identified the Philippines, Fiji, and Papua New Guinea as the countries in the region where HIV infections continue to climb. It said the three now face som