HIV advocacy group asks government support re: COVID-19

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The LoveYourself, Inc., a community-based non-profit primary health care facility for people living with HIV (PLHIV), appeals for the support of the government for the continued and uninterrupted access of PLHIV to anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs.

Primarily, LoveYourself asks for the help of concerned national agencies, the local government units, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, the Philippine National Police, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to ensure smooth delivery of health services to the PLHIV community.

The organization understands the government's precautions, and fully abide with the directives of the Department of Health (DOH) to help contain the spread of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), but the continued delivery of its services is crucial in addressing another kind of pandemic, which is HIV.

Pagtakhan explained that "People living with HIV have become more vulnerable to contracting any diseases due to limited access to their life-saving medication, following the imposition of Enhanced Community Quarantine and declaration of the entire Philippines under a state of calamity amidst the COVID-19 situation."

"On behalf of all our clients and even other HIV treatment facilities, we humbly request the government authorities to help us deliver our services not only to our clients but also to anyone who needs to take their ARVs. These life-saving medicines support their health requirements because missing out on taking ARVs poses a danger to their health and in achieving an undetectable status," said Pagtakhan, who is also a Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World for Humanitarian Leadership awardee in 2018.

In responding to this public health crisis, LoveYourself already shifted its HIV treatment services from onsite to online processing called Xpress Refill program with the delivery of life-saving medication or ARV drugs through couriers that are currently operational.

Clients enrolled in LoveYourself treatment services and even PLHIV who have not enrolled in its treatment services but near to any of its centers are catered through the Xpress refill program: go.loveyourself.ph/XpressRefill. Clients can also call any of these hotlines:

· Anglo (Mandaluyong): 0920 502 1007 | 0999 529 2330 | 0956 615 1230 | 0915 310 7336

· Victoria (Pasay): 09995292399 | 09153107339 | 0915 831 8715

· Lily (Parañaque): 0917 155 5955 | 0928 689 6422

· Welcome (Manila): 0967 207 1976

· Hero (Bacoor, Cavite): 0956 490 3747 | 0906 483 9040

· White House (Cebu City): 0961 573 6493

LoveYourself can also be reached through e-mail at info@loveyourself.ph. Other hubs across the country can be accessed through this: go.loveyourself.ph/txhubs.

Based on the latest report of the DOH, there were 3,029 newly confirmed HIV cases in the Philippines from October to December 2019. The new cases brought the total cases of HIV in the country to 74,807 since January 1984.

LoveYourself is serving more than 5,000 PLHIV for their life-saving medications.

Together with its partner community-based organization, LoveYourself hopes for all clients to be served for their life-saving medications unimpeded while ensuring the maximum health and safety measures in availing of these services.

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