COVID-19

COVID-19 Response in Peru

20 December 2021

Since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on Peru's health system and economy, and has disrupted HIV and TB services. Peru is among the countries ranked highest in the world in terms of excess mortality per million people as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic. Excess mortality refers to the number of deaths from all causes during a crisis beyond what would be expected under ‘normal’ conditions. Given that many COVID-19 deaths are not fully reported in many countries, excess mortality is often used as a more objective indicator of the COVID-19 death toll.

In 2021, through our COVID-19 Response Mechanism (C19RM), the Global Fund supported Peru with over US$14.9 million to fight COVID-19, including for the provision of diagnostic tests, personal protective equipment (PPE) and by scaling up oxygen support for COVID-19 patients. To mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on HIV, part of these investments support interventions to bring people living with HIV who were lost to follow-up back to treatment. TB programs were supported too, through the use of mobile units (vans) and campaigns to find people with TB, and support for patients with multidrug-resistant TB to adhere to their treatment through a mobile application. Communities are engaged in all of these interventions and are involved in awareness-raising campaigns on gender-based violence and human rights. Funding also supports platforms to reduce stigma and discrimination, as well as community-based disease monitoring. 

This C19RM funding will support Peru to be better prepared for a possible third wave of COVID-19 infections and will help to bring progress against HIV and TB back on track.