Community org pauses key innovations

Community organization LoveYourSelf Inc. announced on Wednesday that it is temporarily pausing some of its “key innovations,” including the distribution of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) self-testing kits.

This comes after the United States (US) president ordered a stop to the supply of lifesaving drugs in countries supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

LoveYourSelf Inc., however, assured the public that its essential services, including HIV testing, treatment and TransHealth “remain unaffected,” as these services are not reliant on foreign aid.

The volunteer-run organization said the stoppage also impacts many of its staff working on these programs.

“We want to assure our team and community that we are doing everything we can to ensure that our staff are supported during this time,” Dr. Ronivin Pagtakhan, founder of LoveYourSelf Inc., said.