Nepal received a shipment of much needed Anti-retroviral (ARV) medicine that has been in short supply since March. These medicines will ensure continuity of care for 18,628 people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Nepal in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. Before the arrival of this shipment, Nepal was within days of running out of ARVs, and some patients had only one or two doses of medication left.

According to a press release issued by The U.S. Embassy in Nepal, the U.S. Government was pleased to have been able to work with suppliers, shippers, and officials in both India and Nepal to purchase and import these life-saving drugs, which will ensure an uninterrupted supply of medicines to PLHIV in Nepal. USAID, through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), and the Global Fund partnered to purchase more than $300,000 in ARV medicine for this shipment.

For decades, the United States has been the world's largest provider of bilateral assistance in global health. Since 2009, American taxpayers have generously provided more than $100 billion in health assistance and nearly $70 billion in humanitarian assistance worldwide, including about $603 million in health assistance for Nepal over the past 20 years.