The organization AHF expands its presence and is now in 47 countries operating 839 free of charge care centers for the prevention, detection and treatment of HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).
AHF Latam & Caribbean
AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the world’s largest organization in the response to HIV and AIDS, added its 2 millionth patient in 37 years of work on behalf of public health. AHF was founded in Los Angeles, California, in 1987 in response to the AIDS pandemic and has since worked as an independent organization providing free HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) prevention, testing, and treatment services.
Since its inception in 1987, AHF has been at the forefront of the response to HIV and AIDS. With more than 839 care centers and facilities in 47 countries across Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Europe, AHF continues to innovate healthcare delivery models to expand its reach and impact to global public health.
“We are immensely proud. When we launched our programs outside the United States more than 20 years ago in two African countries with 100 patients in each, we never imagined that one day we would be serving 2 million lives in our care around the world,” said AHF President Michael Weinstein. “It is an honor and a testament to the dedication and hard work of our staff, partners and volunteers who tirelessly strive to make a difference in the lives of people affected by HIV and AIDS every day.”
More than 40 years after the first case of AIDS in the world, there is still much to be done: every year more than 600 thousand people die from causes associated with HIV, and every year 1.3 million people acquire the virus. In light of this, AHF continues its fight against this seemingly never-ending pandemic and remains firmly committed to advocating for access to HIV diagnosis, treatment and care for all people regardless of their ability to pay.
HIV is a chronic health condition and is not synonymous with death. Thanks to advances in science, people who take antiretroviral treatment can keep the infection to a minimum so that it is not detectable in the body, so that a person can live a full and healthy life. The key to this is that everyone knows their HIV status and that those living with the virus have access to antiretroviral treatment as soon as possible.
To do this. AHF expanded its operations in Latin America in 2004, in Mexico and since then operates programs in twelve countries in the region: Haiti, Argentina, Guatemala, Peru, Dominican Republic, Brazil, Chile, Jamaica, Colombia, El Salvador and Panama. Where it offers FREE services in stigma-free environments and respecting people’s confidentiality.
“As AHF, we want to continue promoting access to information, prevention methods, diagnostic tools, and treatment for more people, so that HIV is not a limitation in their lives. And we can only achieve this if we join forces with public entities, civil society, and if we raise our voices together to ensure access to medication for those who need it, prioritizing people’s lives over economic interests,” says Dr. Patricia Campos, Head of the Latin America and Caribbean Bureau.
AHF in Numberss
- 47 countries, 12 of them in Latin America and the Caribbean
- 839 care centers in 38 countries, 148 of them in Latin America and the Caribbean.
- 4.3 million free HIV tests performed by AHF in 2023
- 63 million condoms distributed in 2023, 20 million of them in Latin America and the Caribbean
“If you are looking for a stigma-free, safe, and confidential place to get an HIV test, you can find all the AHF care centers in Latin America and the Caribbean here.
If you live with HIV and are migrating, AHF has an extensive service network in the United States where you can access treatment regardless of your immigration status.
