The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on the fight against HIV/AIDS in 2020, according to a report released by the Global Fund in September. Key programmatic results have declined for the first time since the Global Fund was installed. And these effects are ongoing, as long as the pandemic controls our world. Continued global political will and additional financial support become even more important, since after 20 years of progress in the treatment and prevention of the disease, the numbers now show a huge decline in numbers of people reached with prevention programs, services and medicines.
Today, on World AIDS Day, we at i+solutions join the @WHO and @UNAIDS in the commemoration of all the people who have died of AIDS and those who continue to suffer from this treatable virus. We also celebrate the continued global effort to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. 73% of people living with HIV received lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART) in 2020. This is a hopeful result, but the fight needs to be intensified if we are to reach the goal in 8 years’ time.
i+solutions’ mission is to improve and save people’s lives by creating well-functioning health supply chains. This past year, we have worked harder than ever to deliver our shipments of HIV/AIDS treatments, other essential medicines and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) on time and in full to our clients and meet the many challenges the COVID-19 pandemic poses to the supply chain of medicines and medical equipment. Our shipments of ART in 2021 so far have contributed to the treatment of 5,3 million patients.
In order to contribute to the fight against COVID-19 and to support countries to respond to the increased need of PPE, in 2020, i+solutions launched an online COVID-19 procurement portal aimed to support low- and middle-income countries as well as NGOs in the procurement of PPE products.
We are pleased to announce that this portal has now been expanded to transform into a digital platform for more than just COVID-19 related equipment. The new platform is called the i+webshop, soon to be launched.
In the i+webshop, high-quality health commodities, PPE, ART and other medicines can be ordered at an affordable price. The i+webshop offers the opportunity to quickly create an order and calculate a budget which includes shipping and delivery to in-country destinations.
We hope that this digital platform will contribute to making HIV treatments even more readily available to countries and patients.
Keep following us to learn more.
#Unitetofight #Worldaidsday
