DOH: No shortage of HIV drugs in PH; stocks enough until next year

MANILA, Philippines — There is no shortage of antiretroviral HIV drugs in the country as the government has stocked up on it “up until next year,” the Department of Health assured on Tuesday.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire issued the assurance following the World Health Organization’s pronouncement that the coronavirus pandemic has “severely impacted” access to HIV medicines.

“The DOH has secured stocks of antiretroviral drugs for HIV up until next year,” she said in a press briefing.

“There is also still an ongoing procurement for this drug so we won’t have any shortages,” Vergeire added.

According to WHO, 73 countries have warned that they are at risk of running out on antiretroviral HIV drugs due to COVID-19, and 24 of which have reported having either a critically low stock or experiencing a disruption in supply.

This is based on the new WHO survey conducted ahead of the International AIDS Society’s biannual conference.

“The findings of this survey are deeply concerning,” WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement.

“Countries and their development partners must do all they can to ensure that people who need HIV treatment continue to access it. We cannot let the COVID-19 pandemic undo the hard-won gains in the global response to this disease,” he added.

CFC