Innovating in times of crisis: LoveYourself sustains HIV services amid COVID-19 (Part 1 of 3)
By Edgar Bagasol Jr. and John Oliver Corciega Reduced mobility and stringent community quarantine measures in the face of COVID-19 pose a major challenge for HIV health service providers and facilities, including LoveYourself. Roughly 6,000 PLHIV clients rely on the organization for uninterrupted access to life-saving medication and other HIV services. Delivery rider for pioneer programs Xpress, iCON, and SelfCare Photo by Edgar Bagasol Jr. LoveYourself, a community of HIV advocates in the Philippines, continues community center operations and pioneers programs such as Xpress, iCON, and SelfCare, despite challenges brought about by the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic. “The pandemic affected our mobility. Everything was unprecedented,” says Danvic Rosadiño, LoveYourself’s Senior Operations Manager, with regard to the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) that the Philippine government imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19. For people living with HIV (PLHIV), the continuous su...