More than a year since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) staff continue heroically to serve people living with HIV across the country. Despite an exceedingly difficult operating environment, AHF Ukraine has managed to increase the number of patients in its care from 52,000 to 65,000 while keeping most treatment sites open. HIV testing, prevention, and psycho-social support services also remain accessible to the public.
“Being patient-centered is a core value of AHF, and our colleagues in Ukraine live it every day. Despite stress, trauma, and the constant threat of danger to themselves and their loved ones, AHF Ukraine employees and partners continue to provide compassionate care to people in need. They are a lifeline, especially for marginalized communities that are difficult to reach during peacetime, let alone during an ongoing conflict. We deeply thank AHF Ukraine staff for their courage and will continue to support them,” said AHF Chief of Global Advocacy and Policy Terri Ford.
Recently, Ford and Global Director of Safety and Security RC Miles traveled to Ukraine via train from Poland to reaffirm AHF’s support for the program and personally thank AHF Ukraine staff and partners for their dedication and commitment to the mission. In addition to voluntarily remaining at their posts to keep programs operational, AHF Ukraine staff have managed to assist internationally displaced clients with finding services in other countries, including where AHF works and where it has no presence.
