The negative impact of COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected the lives of those who are already vulnerable and marginalized pre-COVID-19. In particular, people living with HIV encountered additional barriers in accessing HIV prevention and treatment services. Limited mobility and job loss restricted the capacity of people living with HIV to have continued access to antiretroviral (ARV) drugs and other HIV care services. These problems leave more than 43,000 Filipinos living with HIV who are already on treatment and tens of thousands more Filipinos who are living with HIV but are not diagnosed or not on treatment vulnerable to being lost in or not being linked at all to the HIV care continuum.

This report highlights several challenges faced by people living with HIV in the country across the HIV care continuum. Issues on various facets of HIV care continuum such as access to HIV facilities and psychosocial support are surfaced and discussed. Policy and program recommendations that will help the in development of the national HIV program that is more robust, with or without the threats of COVID-19, are also presented.