Brazil
AHF Brazil has been working in Brazil since 2015 on actions to combat HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmissible Infections (STIs), promoting the prevention of new infections, and facilitating access to a treatment with quality, no cost and in a timely manner to those in need.
In order to increase access to the diagnosis of HIV/AIDS, AHF Brazil maintains partnerships with NGOs and local governments for community-based testing out of health services, focused on most vulnerable populations to HIV/AIDS and other STIs. On the other hand, we strengthened our partnership with local governments to improve the access of people living with HIV/AIDS to public health system, focusing on the concepts of bonding and retention to treatment and specialized care.
Currently, some of our NGO partnerships are in cities such as São Paulo (BARONG) and Rio de Janeiro (Grupo Pela Vidda), alongside with Manaus (Rede Amizade), Tabatinga (AGLTTF) and Parintins (AGLTPIN) – the three of them are located in the Amazon Region. The case of Tabatinga deserves special attention, as the city is in a triple border region, with the cities of Letícia (Colombia) and Santa Rosa de Yavarí (Peru). It is common for people from these countries to be assisted in the public health system of the Brazilian side of the border, as well as being involved in prevention and advocacy actions developed by our local partners.
The actions carried out together with these institutions allowed the realization of approximately 6,500 tests per month, with a positivity rate of 4% . To all these diagnosed people are offered linkage to the specialized services for the proper treatment and there is permanent monitoring of the team until the bonding process is completed.
Regarding care actions for people living with HIV/AIDS, AHF Brazil maintains projects in partnership with local government levels, universities and public health research institutions to support the bonding of new patients and improve retention/adherence to treatment. These projects take place in 25 specialized care units in the states of Amazonas, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Sul and São Paulo, covering more than 63,000 patients undergoing treatment and 181 health professionals.
The objective is to improve the quality of life of patients and the management of special care units, seeking to propose adjustments in the forms of organization of patient care with an approach centered on welcoming newly diagnosed people and on the return of patients who abandoned treatment – always in accordance with national guidelines established by the Ministry of Health.
On May 14, 2018, AHF Brazil opened its first Wellness Center in Brazil in Recife, a clinic specialized in the sexual health of men. At that time the city was experiencing an explosion of syphilis cases, especially in the male population. In the clinic, services such as condoms and lubricant distribution, rapid test for HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B and C, and treatment for STIs are offered free of charge, without any need of an appointment. Since it was opened, the clinic has attended more than 21,000 people and performed around 80,000 rapid tests, with 6% positivity for HIV and 26% for syphilis.
In addition, AHF Brazil works to spread prevention, testing and treatment actions, always defending human rights and the rights of most vulnerable populations to HIV/AIDS and STIs, including LGBTQIAP+, sex workers, women, black people, youth and migrants.
Among the strategies adopted by AHF Brazil are marketing campaigns on social media, in the press (mainly in vehicles specialized in public health coverage) and engagement in highly visible activities, such as the São Paulo LGBT Pride Parade (the largest in the world, which brings together 3 million people on the streets), Carnival (in February/March), World AIDS Day (December 1st) and other important dates in the Brazilian cultural calendar.
Beto de Jesus
Country Program Manager - Brazil
Rua Pedro Américo, 52 - República CEP 01045-010
São Paulo/SP - Brazil
AHF Brazil
Rua Osvaldo Cruz, 342 – Soledade, 50050-225 – Recife/PE
+55 81 3877 6680
[email protected]
Clients in Care: 68,272 (2022)
People living with HIV: 960,000*
Estimated number of HIV+ people without diagnosis: 120,000*
Adults and children receiving ART: 695,094*
HIV prevalence in MSM older than 25 years: 18.35%*
Adult aged 15 to 49 HIV prevalence rate: 0.6 [0.3 – 0.8]*
* Source: UNAIDS 2021