By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — The Department of Health (DOH) has assured people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) that efforts are underway to prevent disruptions in the country’s antiretroviral (ARV) treatment program following delays in the delivery of newly procured medicines.
Health officials announced that the government has completed the procurement of 1,164,879 bottles of Tenofovir/Lamivudine/Dolutegravir (TLD), the standard first-line medication prescribed for HIV patients in the Philippines.
The contract for the procurement was awarded to PhilPharmawealth in March and is expected to provide treatment for an estimated 97,000 people living with HIV nationwide.
The DOH issued the clarification after LoveYourself Inc., a non-government organization operating HIV treatment clinics and supporting care facilities across the country, advised clients that some treatment hubs were temporarily limiting ARV refills to a two-week supply because of delays in replenishing stocks through the national distribution system.
According to the health department, the supplier had originally committed to deliver the first batch of 600,000 bottles in May. However, the company later requested additional time, citing supply chain challenges linked to the continuing conflict in the Middle East.
PhilPharmawealth has since informed the DOH that it expects to deliver an initial shipment of 455,217 bottles in the coming days.
Health authorities said distribution plans have already been finalized to ensure that the arriving medicines are immediately dispatched to treatment facilities once received.
The DOH emphasized that it is closely tracking the supplier’s compliance with its contractual obligations. It warned that appropriate measures will be taken should further delays threaten the country’s HIV treatment program.
To bridge any temporary shortage, the department said treatment hubs may obtain TLD from accredited local wholesale suppliers while waiting for government stocks to arrive.
Health facilities may also utilize the PhilHealth Outpatient HIV/AIDS Treatment Benefit Package, which allows accredited centers to procure antiretroviral medicines independently using allocated funding, helping ensure that patients continue receiving uninterrupted treatment.
The DOH reiterated its commitment to protecting access to life-saving HIV medicines and maintaining continuous care for Filipinos living with the disease.
ia/xf
