MEXICO CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, which celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2017 and now operates in 41 countries, is honored to announce that it has surpassed a remarkable milestone in its history: as of the start of this month, AHF is now providing HIV/AIDS medical care and/or services to more than one million patients—1,004,228 worldwide as of last week—in the US, Europe, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean and Asia.
AHF’s Latin American/Caribbean Bureau, one of AHF’s five global bureaus, now provides lifesaving care and services in 10 of the 41 countries that AHF operates in globally including Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico and Peru as well as in the U.S. Territory of Puerto Rico.
“Over one-million lives in AHF’s care—the most momentous achievement in the 31-year history of AIDS Healthcare Foundation and an achievement proudly shared by many, many dedicated staff, board members, partner organizations, volunteers, family, friends—and patients,” said Michael Weinstein, AHF’s President. “Just three short years ago, we marked 500,000 patients in care. To now reach over twice that number: one-million lives—or nearly five-percent of the 20.5 million HIV/AIDS patients in care and on treatment globally— is simply incredible. I congratulate and thank all who helped us reach this remarkable milestone today, but remind people there is still much more work to be done. As we carry on, I am confident that the leadership of AHF’s domestic and global programs has the capability and the will to take us onward and upward to bring more and more people into the lifeboat of care and treatment over the next five years.”
“To me, reaching one-million patients in AHF’s care reflects the tremendous effort, compassion, commitment and teamwork from all of our AHF teams around the world. We are all in constant movement with new challenges every day, but our mission helps guide us to find ways to move ahead,” said Dr. Patricia Campos, AHF Latin America & Caribbean Bureau Chief. “As I think about these one-million lives today, I also think of the moments of happiness that so many patients have shared with us: that could be around today with their families, children, partners and friends; they can enjoy life and work because of treatment and care. I also share how proud the entire AHF Latin American and Caribbean Bureau and our countries are that we have contributed to reaching this point. There are still many, many people who need treatment and care, more now in the middle of these new circumstances in our region and countries. Latin America is facing new challenges at this time and we know we cannot stop, that we should—and will—move forward.”
“Reaching one-million patients in care is a momentous mark for AHF and for its Southern Bureau as well. We live in an area ripe with health inadequacies and stigma, and AHF fights both of those inequalities at all levels to assure all of our patients receive the compassionate and cutting-edge care they deserve to lead healthy and fulfilling lives,” added Michael Kahane, Bureau Chief for AHF’s Southern Bureau.
“Truly heartfelt congratulations to all of the AHF staff, board members, volunteers, partners and our patients for contributing your best to help AHF meet this incredible milestone,” said Cynthia Davis, MPH, Assistant Professor and Program Director, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science and Chair of AHF’s Board of Directors. “On behalf of the AHF Board of Directors, we thank you and will celebrate this achievement with you as we lead in to the observation of World AIDS Day—this year marking its 30th year—later this year.”
In November 2013, AHF kicked off ‘20X20,’ a collective global advocacy campaign to try to get 20 million people living with HIV or AIDS worldwide in care and on treatment by the year 2020. At the time, AHF made a commitment to getting one-million of those 20-million on treatment by 2020—a historic benchmark passed this month—and a commitment achieved two years earlier than 2020.
Previous AHF Treatment Benchmarks
- 500,000 lives in care under AHF, a mark celebrated on November 13, 2015
- 250,000 lives in care, a mark celebrated on November 27, 2013
- 100,000 lives in care, a mark celebrated on April 15, 2009
AHF celebrated the earlier milestone of 250,000 patients in care in November 2013. In the two short intervening years until the announcement of 500,000 patients in November 2015, AHF doubled the number of patients it reached. Prior to that, AHF marked 100,000 patients in care worldwide on April 8, 2009, a time when AHF operated in just 21 countries and with only 65 global treatment clinics total worldwide. Today, AHF provides medical care and services in over 545 global treatment clinics in 40 other countries outside the U.S.
AHF to Roll Out ‘1,000,000 Lives in Care’ Billboard Campaign in the US and to Some Global Sites To mark its one-million patient milestone, AHF will roll out a celebratory new ‘1,000,000 Lives in Care’ billboard campaign later this month starting in Los Angeles and later, in South Florida. The campaign will also be shared with some global countries and sites. The inspiring artwork, created by Jason Farmer, Senior Director of AHF Worldwide, features an image of white numbers making up ‘1,000,000’ on a backdrop of a crowd of thousands and thousands of people giving the billboard an artistic pointillist effect—one that underscores and heightens to concept on one-million lives now under AHF’s care.
In addition, AHF produced a short video commemorating the one-million patient milestone. To view, click here:
AHF’s Early History AHF began operations in 1987 as the AIDS Hospice Foundation by a group of activists in response to the urgent need to provide hospice services to patients dying of AIDS on the streets of Los Angeles. By July 1990, the organization had changed its name to the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, as the need for ongoing medical care for HIV/AIDS patients grew. When the advent of lifesaving antiretroviral medications ushered in a treatment revolution in 1996, AHF began supplying these medications to patients for free without guarantee of reimbursement and at great financial risk. In 2002, at the invitation of local South African activists, AHF opened its first free HIV/AIDS clinic outside the U.S. in this hard-hit country. In 2004, AHF declared its pledge to reach 100,000 people worldwide with its services, and by 2009, AHF reached that major milestone.
Today, in addition to its clinics and treatment centers, AHF also operates a chain of 48 AHF Pharmacy outlets in 12 states and runs managed care and disease management programs for people with AIDS or HIV in Florida and California under AHF’s Positive Healthcare umbrella. Through AHF’s Public Health Division, AHF operates one of the largest community-based free HIV testing programs in the US (186,223 free tests in the US in 2017). In addition, over four-million free HIV tests were done globally by AHF in 2017 (4,233,744 tests). AHF also operates 21 Wellness Centers in nine states (and seven additional Wellness Centers in four other countries) and also operates two AHF Dental Clinics in South Florida and Southern California. The AHF Research Division has 23-years of experience with antiretroviral (ARV) studies.
AHF Countries:
THE AMERICAS—11 countries, including: Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico and Peru (as well as the previously cited United States).
AFRICA—13 countries, including: Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Eswatini (Swaziland), Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
ASIA—9 countries, including: Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
EUROPE—8 countries, including: Estonia, Greece, Lithuania, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
In addition, AHF operates 63 free HIV/AIDS healthcare centers in 15 states and the District of Columbia and the U.S. Territory of Puerto Rico, including in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Texas, Washington [state] and Washington, DC.
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over 1,000,000 individuals in 41 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare.