The US Agency for International Development (USAID) teamed up with Ayala Healthcare Holdings Inc. (AC Health) to strengthen the private sector’s role in providing stigma-free care and lifesaving HIV services in the Philippines, which faces one of Asia’s fastest-growing HIV epidemics.
Funded by the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the initiative, created on Nov. 26, 2024, aims to develop, test and scale solutions for improving and expanding HIV prevention and care.
“This partnership harnesses collaboration and private sector expertise to address the HIV epidemic. The United States remains committed to working for a future rooted in compassion, understanding, and better healthcare access for all,” said US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson.
The partnership will prioritize online health services and direct delivery of medications like pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a drug that prevents HIV transmission when taken as prescribed. AC Health will integrate its services—including KonsultaMD telehealth, Generika Drugstores and Healthway Medical Network—into local HIV networks. Othel V. Campos
