There is no shortage of HIV and TB medicines in the country and supply of medicines is sufficient, Dr. Than Naing Soe, the spokesman of Ministry of Health, told One News. Currently, due to suspension of aid from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), there are concerns about the shortage of medicines in Myanmar to fight diseases such as HIV, TB and malaria.
Dr. Than Naing Soe said that the Global Fund’s provision of HIV, TB, and malaria drugs is for prevention, while the national budget provides for treatment, so supply of medicine is sufficient.
Myanmar is among the 30 countries with the highest incidence of TB, TB/HIV and drug-resistant TB in the world.
According to the WHO’s Global TB Report (2023), the incidence rate of new TB cases in Myanmar in 2022 is estimated at 475 per 100,000 population, with a mortality rate of 80. The number of people infected with HIV in Myanmar exceeded 10,000 in 2023, according to the Ministry of Health.
