M.O.U. cements Bangladesh as AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s newest country
Global nonprofit cares for over 2.7 million people worldwide; adds Tennessee and Michigan to U.S. roster
LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–To mark World AIDS Day 2025, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) will hold major commemorative concerts and events in early December across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas to emphasize that the work to end HIV/AIDS is far from over—underscored by the 1.3 million new infections that still occur globally each year.
World AIDS Day is observed annually on Dec. 1. AHF’s observances will promote HIV prevention, testing, condom access, treatment, and care, while demonstrating solidarity with people and communities affected by HIV/AIDS.
This year’s commemorations also coincide with a historic milestone for AHF: reaching operations in 50 countries worldwide, an extraordinary achievement since the organization first launched its global programs in 2002 in South Africa and Uganda. The recent signing of a memorandum of understanding (M.O.U) between AHF and the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh cements that country as AHF’s newest.
“50 countries and 2.7 million lives in care: a remarkable accomplishment, one reached thanks to the dedication of thousands of AHF staff, volunteers, board members and with clients and patients who place their trust, and care, in our hands each day,” said AHF President Michael Weinstein. “However, in true AHF fashion we are not resting on our laurels. The global public health system is profoundly broken and must be repaired. STDs are at pandemic levels and being ignored. Too many patients are not retained in care. The responsibility of bringing as many people as possible into the lifeboat of care remains staggering but is a challenge AHF will continue to take on.”
In the United States, AHF also celebrates the addition of two states to its roster: Tennessee, where it recently opened a new AHF Healthcare Center in Memphis; and Michigan, where it just started operations and began treatment in Detroit. This brings AHF’s U.S. roster to include 19 states, Washington, D.C., as well as Puerto Rico. Over the past several years, the range of AHF services has also expanded to include food, shelter, disaster relief and wellness services.
Despite decades of progress in the fight against HIV, around 40 million people worldwide are living with the virus, with women and girls representing more than half of those affected. Stigma and discrimination continue to prevent many from accessing essential care, while key populations face significant barriers to treatment. These challenges are compounded by chronic underfunding of the global HIV response, highlighting the urgent need for sustained HIV/AIDS financing—including full funding of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. AHF’s global World AIDS Day events will highlight these persistent gaps and reinforce the importance of keeping HIV/AIDS at the forefront of national and global public health priorities.
“This World AIDS Day reminds us that the fight against HIV is far from over. Millions of people still face barriers to testing, treatment, and ongoing care, while stigma and high drug prices put lifesaving tools out of reach,” said Terri Ford, AHF Chief of Global Advocacy & Policy. “Expanding access to prevention, including condoms and new innovations, supporting retention in care, and ensuring affordable treatment are critical to stopping new infections and saving lives. Governments and communities must work together to ensure progress is equitable for everyone living with or affected by HIV.”
Additionally, pharma greed continues to block progress for the global HIV/AIDS response. True progress demands that pharmaceutical companies put people before profits because innovation doesn’t matter if it isn’t accessible to all.
World AIDS Day serves as a vital platform for HIV/AIDS advocates to acknowledge the progress made, honor those we have lost to AIDS-related illnesses and those who carry on the fight, and call on governments worldwide to commit the necessary resources and political will to end HIV/AIDS. On this World AIDS Day, we’re reminded: It’s Not Over.
About AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF)
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is a global non-profit organization providing cutting-edge medicine and advocacy to over 2.7 million people in 50 countries worldwide in Africa, the Americas, the Asia/Pacific Region and Europe. We are currently the largest non-profit provider of HIV/AIDS medical care in the world. 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 and Instagram: @aidshealthcare
Contacts
US MEDIA CONTACT:
Ged Kenslea
Senior Director, Communications, AHF
+1.323.308.1833 work
+1.323.791.5526 mobile
[email protected]
Denys Nazarov
Director of Global Policy and Communications, AHF
+1 323.308.1829
[email protected]
