US freeze on aid affects LoveYourself's free PrEP and self-testing kits

LoveYourself Inc., an HIV patient welfare organization in the Philippines, stated that the US government's temporary freeze on foreign assistance will impact some of its programs.

The group noted that the stop-work order affects key innovations such as free PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and self-testing kits, but essential services like HIV testing, treatment, and TransHealth remain unaffected.

However, LoveYourself warned that the delivery of PrEP and self-testing kits will now incur a fee due to the shift in US policy, though they vowed to explore alternative solutions to resume free services as soon as possible.

UNAIDS has expressed concern about the impact on HIV prevention efforts and is lobbying for other HIV services to be included in the waiver, while LoveYourself awaits updates from the US government.

The Philippines recorded 58 new HIV cases per day in the second quarter of 2024, with over 215,000 estimated people living with HIV by the end of the year, highlighting the urgency of addressing disruptions to HIV services.