Mace, 32, makes it a point to replenish their bottles of antiretroviral (ARV) medicine when only 10 tablets are left in their monthly supply. But when the government imposed a lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic last year, she found herself unable to travel to her treatment hub in Pasig City for a refill.
She and her youngest daughter, Tiffany*, 4, were both diagnosed with the infection in 2017.
In addition to stigma and discrimination, the Covid-19 pandemic has brought new obstacles in the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic. People living with HIV are vulnerable to Covid-19, and government healthcare coverage may not offer enough protection.
This work is supported by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism and the Photojournalists' Center of the Philippines.