Manila: The Department of Health on Thursday assured the public that its delivery of services for different health conditions of Filipinos remains unimpeded despite the suspension of foreign aid from the United States.

According to Philippines News Agency, DOH Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Albert Domingo stated that Secretary Teodoro Herbosa has been facilitating multilateral arrangements with various countries to “support health systems strengthening activities towards universal health care for many conditions of Filipinos.” Domingo emphasized that the delivery of health services by the DOH and the expansion of PhilHealth (Philippine Health Insurance Corporation) benefit packages continue without disruption.

US President Donald Trump ordered a pause to review aid allocations, prompting the State Department to temporarily halt all foreign assistance, including the distribution of drugs for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), malaria, and tuberculosis. In response, there have been efforts to ensure that health services remain unaffected.

Meanwhile, the UNAIDS (Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS) welcomed the Emergency Humanitarian Waiver signed by State Secretary Marco Rubio, allowing people to continue accessing HIV treatment funded by the US across 55 countries. More than 20 million people living with HIV are directly supported by the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which is recognized as the world’s leading HIV initiative.