AHF entered Sierra Leone’s HIV response in 2009 by participating in World AIDS Day events organized by the National AIDS Secretariat (NAS). By December 2010, AHF supported the testing of more than 20,000 people during the celebration, leading NAS to invite AHF to establish a permanent presence in the country to strengthen HIV prevention, treatment, and care.  

In April 2011, AHF donated $10,000 to renovate the National Reference Laboratory at Lakka, now the only facility of its kind in Sierra Leone. Officially registered as an international non-governmental organization (INGO) in July 2011, AHF became the first and remains the largest INGO providing free HIV/AIDS care and treatment services in the country. 

Operations officially began in September 2012 at the Jenner Wright Clinic in Freetown, initially serving just 23 clients by the end of the year. Over the past 12 years, the program has grown exponentially and now supports 36 treatment sites, including 14 comprehensive clinics and 22 outpost/satellite sites, providing care to more than 30,000 clients. 

In collaboration with strategic partners, such as the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, the National AIDS Control Program, the National AIDS Secretariat, and the Network of HIV Positives in Sierra Leone, AHF provides comprehensive support for HIV prevention, testing, and treatment services. These include condom distribution, HIV testing services, antiretroviral therapy and care for people living with HIV, syndromic management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and tuberculosis (TB) treatment and management.