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 U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar told
Reuters about the decision in a phone interview following a meeting
this week of health officials from 10 countries in the Colombian
border city of Cucuta.
The officials agreed to various measures meant to help the more than
4 million Venezuelans who have left home amid widespread shortages
of food and medicine.
"When I was there I actually signed a letter of intent with minister
of health Juan Pablo Uribe for the United States to be providing HIV
antiretrovirals to Colombia for the use with Venezuelan refugees,"
Azar said.
The United States will provide 12,000 doses, an HHS spokeswoman
said, enough for a year's medication for 1,000 migrants.
"We believe that its vital to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and to
treat those who have it because with appropriate treatment
individuals who have HIV/AIDS can live healthy, long, productive
lives," Azar said.
Antiretrovirals are not a cure for HIV, but can help keep the virus
at bay and lower the chance of transmitting the disease.
Many Venezuelans living with the virus that causes AIDS once
received free medication. Supplies dried up as the economy
unraveled, leaving patients to seek treatment abroad or resort to
questionable home remedies.
The crisis presents a range of health challenges for countries
taking in migrants, from patients with chronic conditions who have
long lacked care to those needing emergency assistance.
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In many hospitals along Colombia's border, a majority of births are
now to Venezuelan mothers, many of whom lacked pre-natal care.
Plans are also being made for rebuilding Venezuela's healthcare
system once President Nicolas Maduro is no longer in power, Azar
said.
The United States is among more than 50 countries that recognize
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as his country's legitimate
leader rather than Maduro.
Guaido invoked the constitution in January to assume a rival
presidency, saying Maduro's 2018 re-election was fraudulent. Maduro
alleges that Guaido is a puppet of the United States.
Unlike its neighbors, Colombia has not put in place stringent
immigration requirements for Venezuelan migrants.
Colombia is home to some 1.4 million Venezuelans. Hundreds of
thousands of others reside in Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Brazil and other
countries.
(This story has been refiled to fix spelling of "States" in
paragraph 5)
(Reporting by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
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