Present at the meeting, on January 12, officials from the National Ministry of Health informed the provinces, via a circular, that they were experiencing delays in purchasing medications and invited them to make the purchases themselves, to the extent possible. “We know that for many provinces this is impossible, not only because of the cost, but also because of the short notice given for the decision,” Muñoz stated. She pointed the finger at the Undersecretary of Administrative Coordination, headed by María Cecilia Loccisano, the department responsible for conducting the bidding processes for medication purchases. “This isn’t the first time we’ve had to take to the streets to demand our right to medication. In December 2016, we had to march to be heard by this administration, in a context where the bill for people with HIV, viral hepatitis, and STIs was rejected in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.” “We call on all of society to come together this Friday to demand respect for and compliance with the right to health,” the Front stated in a press release. The Ministry of Health, via Twitter, said that the delays in the delivery of HIV treatment medications are due to the usual budget allocation process. They added that purchase orders for the medications Dolutegravir 50 mg, Darunavir 600 mg, Efavirenz 600 mg, and Abacavir-Lamivudine 600-300 will be issued in the coming days, thus ensuring the continued supply of these medications.

In the coming days, purchase orders will be issued for the medications Dolutegravir 50 mg, Darunavir 600 mg, Efavirenz 600 mg and Abacavir-Lamivudine 600-300, thus ensuring the continued supply of these medications.

— Ministry of Health (@msalnacion) January 20, 2018

“What is happening is not innocent”

José María Di Bello, secretary of the Positive Effect Group FoundationHe told Presentes that it wasn't a surprise to them: “We had been monitoring drug purchases and had been warning that this could happen again. It worries us because this benefits multinational companies by paying exorbitant costs. And The serious thing is that when this happened last year, 90% of the national budget for HIV was allocated to the purchase of medicines and nothing was left for prevention. A year later, the same thing is happening again. This is not innocent and is part of public health policy, which is to reduce the number of services covered to a minimum,” he said.

[READ ALSO: Argentina: “People with HIV are living through a national emergency”]

Di Bello cleared up doubts about the origin of the medicines: “There are several of those that are in short supply that are already manufactured in our country, so the excuse that they were only produced by international pharmaceutical companies is not true.”

[READ ALSO: #WorldHIVDay: In Argentina, 30% of people don't know they are living with the virus]

RAJAP is conducting a survey in the provinces to assess each situation individually and how the national authorities' decision will affect people undergoing treatment. Muñoz explained that a meeting has been requested with health officials to obtain details on stock levels and the status of purchase orders, "and to find out what medical measures they will take for provinces that cannot acquire the medications. The treatment is protected by law, and any failure or administrative delay, whether by action or omission, is a political decision," he asserted.

A little over a year later: the same complaint

On December 13, 2016, The Front mobilized to demand urgent measures due to the lack of medicines, reagents, and condoms. In front of the Ministry of Health to denounce the absence of the State in prevention and treatment policies. In November of last year, Congress blocked the new HIV, viral hepatitis and STI lawThe project lost its parliamentary status. The package of initiatives sought to legislate on social, labor, and human rights issues. ]]>