AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organisation, which celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2017 and now operates in 41 countries, announced that it has surpassed a big milestone in its history.
At the beginning of this month, AHF is providing HIV/AIDS medical care and/or services to more than one million patients-1,004,228 patients worldwide as of last week-in the US, Europe, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean and Asia.
AHF's Asia Bureau, one of AHF's five global bureaus, now provides lifesaving care and services in 9 of the 41 countries that AHF operates in globally including Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.
"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 years ago, we marked 5,00,000 patients in care. To now reach over twice that number, one-million lives, 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," he added.
"The one million lives under AHF's care actually translates to many millions and many generations, if we consider the impact on the families who would have otherwise lost earning productive individuals, parents losing children or children becoming orphans," said Dr. V. Sam Prasad, Country Program Director for AHF India Cares.
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"This milestone is an epitome of championing humanity and guarantees life and dignity to those in need regardless of their ability to pay. However, India still has a long way to go in bridging the gap between the 'estimated' and the 'ever-reached' to order end AIDS by 2030. With a rekindled spirit and a rejuvenated mind, I vow that AHF India Cares will continue to Innovate Interventions to Impact and Complement India's National response, doing our best and our part until the war on HIV is won," he added.
Dr. Chhim Sarath, Asia Bureau Chief for AHF, who is based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, opined: "It is an honour for AHF's Asia Bureau to both celebrate and share the accomplishment of one million people in care worldwide with the entire AHF team as well as our patients, families and friends. However, there is much more to be done in the fight against HIV and AIDS in Asia and throughout the world. As an expert in the delivery of HIV/AIDS medical care and an influential advocate, we celebrate this achievement today and vow that we will continue to be at the forefront of efforts to control AIDS globally."
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.
AHF celebrated the earlier milestone of 2,50,000 patients in care in November 2013. In the two short intervening years until the announcement of 5,00,000 patients in November 2015, AHF doubled the number of patients it reached. Prior to that, AHF marked 1,00,000 patients in care worldwide on April 8, 2009, a time when AHF operated in just 21 countries and with only 65 global treatment clinics worldwide. Today, AHF provides medical care and services in over 545 global treatment clinics in 40 other countries outside the U.S.
"Truly heartfelt congratulations to all of the AHF staff, Board members, volunteers, partners and our patients for contributing your best to help AHF reach 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 into the observation of World AIDS Day-this year marking its 30th year-later this year."
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.
AHF also produced a short video marking the one-million patient milestone.