Shortages of crucial HIV medicines due to aid cuts are a ‘warning’, say experts

A nurse tells a woman in Papua New Guinea that she has HIV after her blood test was positive. The IPPF found five countries had no tests to offer. Photograph: AFP/Getty

Aid cuts have affected HIV drug and test supplies across the world, with some providers reporting they are out of stock of key medicines, according to a survey of 40 countries.

Organisations providing HIV care revealed that more than half (55%) had run out of stock within the past year, with a critical scarcity of HIV tests and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) – a prescription medicine that people take to reduce the risk of getting HIV.