Africa-Press – Angola. Angola is among the countries most affected by US cuts in the global fight against HIV/AIDS, which have resulted in increased uncertainties and risks related to the availability and management of products for this purpose, according to a UN analysis.
In the survey entitled “Impact of US funding cuts: an overview of HIV commodity availability and management risks”, focusing on the situation in 56 countries up to April 28, UNAIDS stressed that the sudden suspension of US foreign assistance resulted in a multifactorial increase in risks and challenges, especially on the African continent.
Angola, for example, appears on the list of countries with six or less months of stock of at least one HIV testing product.
According to UNAIDS, Angola only had Bioline confirmatory test kits for the current month of May.
This same list also includes countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Guatemala and Ukraine.
The report also indicates that about 23% of the 56 countries analyzed reported six months or less of stock of condoms – the most widely used HIV prevention method – or PrEP – a medication taken to prevent HIV infection.
“This is happening in a context of global decline in subsidized and public sector acquisition of condoms, which has fallen by an average of 30% compared to the peak in acquisition recorded in 2011,” UNAIDS – the United Nations program created in 1996 with the aim of finding solutions and helping nations in the fight against HIV/AIDS – stresses in its analysis.
In some cases, gaps in condom availability are due to accessibility issues, often associated with the cessation of outreach activities and mobile clinics that distributed condoms among vulnerable groups, as for example in Lesotho, Malawi or South Sudan.
Furthermore, about 14% of countries have six or less months of stock of at least one line of antiretroviral drugs, used to treat the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
Countries such as Brazil, Botswana, India, Kazakhstan, Panama and the Philippines have reported a low to minimal risk of antiretroviral shortages, as they purchase them directly with national resources.
Funding for antiretrovirals comes from a variety of sources and their availability and effective delivery depend on well-coordinated efforts by stakeholders.
Even when there are HIV products in the country, they do not always reach health units, creating shortages for patients, which undermines confidence in the continuity of treatment.
About 46% of countries reported supply chain management problems.
In this sense, the degree of uncertainty and public concern regarding the continued availability of and access to free antiretroviral treatment has increased significantly.
About 18% of countries signaled public reactions to uncertainty, among other changes in individual behavior towards antiretroviral treatment.
Faced with cuts in aid from Washington, national authorities have mobilized for additional budgetary allocations to ensure the availability and management of HIV supplies.
In its analysis, UNAIDS placed Angola and Mozambique on the list of countries that reported challenges in product chain management and mitigation actions.
Regarding Angola, “although there is stock of HIV products in the regional warehouse, logistics are interrupted and cases of stock shortages have been recorded in one of the provinces supported by PEPFAR” – the United States’ funding plan to tackle the global HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Another Portuguese-speaking country mentioned in this list was Mozambique, where “previous challenges with the transport of health products to health centers may already be being resolved”, as CHEGAR, the project responsible for the transport of health products, “recently resumed work with alternative financing arrangements”, said UNAIDS.
In a broader context, “if funding is not restored or replaced, progress will be lost,” said the agency’s director in Tajikistan, a country that “will lose about 60% of its HIV program funding” if US resources are not replaced.
United Nations Secretary-General AntoĢnio Guterres will present his report on HIV to the General Assembly in New York next Thursday.
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