IN observance of World AIDS Day on December 1, the Embassy of the United States in the Philippines announced the launch of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program, which will begin this month.
Through PEPFAR, the US government has committed more than P875 million ($18.2 million) over two years for US-Philippines bilateral efforts, with implementation by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), US Centers for Disease Control, US Health Resources and Services Administration, as well as the US Department of Defense.
The PEPFAR program will address the increasing number of people who are living with the human immunodeficiency virus in the country, which has the fastest-growing HIV epidemic in the Asia-Pacific region. Most recent data from the Department of Health’s (DOH) Epidemiology Bureau estimates that more than 110,000 Filipinos are living with HIV in 2020: 37,000 have not been diagnosed; and among those previously diagnosed, at least 18,500 still need to be enrolled in life-saving antiretroviral therapy (ART).
This new PEPFAR program will support the Philippine government in reaching the ambitious Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS 95-95-95 targets for HIV epidemic control, which means 95 percent of those infected with HIV know their status, 95 percent of those who know their status receive treatment, and 95 percent of those on treatment achieve viral suppression.
Under this new assistance, USAID will work with the DOH and local community organizations to implement activities in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon. These are considered the highest HIV-burden areas in the country, where an estimated 63 percent of persons living with the disease nationwide reside.
USAID will expand the country’s prevention strategy by increasing access to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis, strengthening HIV testing and case-finding in the post-pandemic era, as well as connecting HIV-diagnosed clients with better treatment regimens and retention programs.
“As a friend, partner, and ally of the Filipino people, we remain committed to assist the Philippine government in addressing this disease, so that the country can meet its development objectives in health and progress along its journey to self-reliance,” said USAID Acting Mission Director Patrick Wesner.
The support also comes at a critical time, as the pandemic has hindered HIV testing and treatment coverage. Figures from January to June 2020 show a 41-percent year-on-year decline in new HIV diagnoses, and a 51-percent drop in ART initiation from 2019.