COMMUNITIES IN THE LEAD. ENDING AIDS TOGETHER.

We strive for a world where there are no longer any deaths from AIDS, where people enjoy good sexual health, and a cure is available for all people living with HIV. A world in which everyone can love freely and without fear. For all that is love.

About our strategy
39

million people worldwide are living with HIV

23 %

of people above 15 years have no access to treatment

630000

people die of AIDS every single year

Putting communities in the lead

As one of the largest HIV-specific funders in the world, we fund and raise funds to directly support communities with long-term, flexible, and core funding and funding for advocacy. We recognise that funding alone is not sufficient to address the complex challenges of HIV. We put communities in the lead to address challenges and inequalities by giving them the power to decide on funding and programming to make the most effective investments to end AIDS. We encourage innovation by piloting and scaling approaches and models to make the biggest impact.

Read all about our approach

The communities we work with

We know from more than four decades of experience that community-led approaches are the only way to end AIDS. That is why we invest in communities through community-led responses, like the Love Alliance and the Robert Carr Fund. In those programmes and funds, communities play a central part in decision-making processes and investments. They know best what is needed and what works.

View all our work with communities

A person lovingly holding a child in her arms.

Children

Children

A high number of children living with HIV and pregnant women are still unaware of their HIV status or not able to start and continue treatment. Without treatment, 50% of children born with HIV will die before age two.

Read more about Children
LGBTIQ

LGBTIQ+ people

LGBTIQ+ people

LGBTIQ+ people are 13 times more likely to acquire HIV than other adults. They often face high levels of stigma, discrimination and violence, which directly limits their access to (life-saving) health care.

Read more about LGBTIQ+ people
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People living with HIV

People living with HIV

Key populations living with HIV face stigma due to fear and ignorance surrounding HIV transmission; and stigma due to negative societal attitudes and perceptions that exist towards same-sex relations, sex work and drug use. In most countries the HIV response is not sensitive to the needs of key populations living with HIV. Standard HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services often do not include relevant information for key populations living with HIV to live healthy and dignified lives. Health care providers are uninformed or there are legal and policy barriers that make it impossible to discuss sex work, drug use and same-sex relations in a health care setting.

Read more about People living with HIV

People who use drugs

People who use drugs

People who use drugs often face severe stigma and discrimination and lack access to much-needed health services. Even when these services are available, many drug users are afraid to make use of them because of fear of imprisonment and human rights abuses. As a result, sharing/using unsterile injecting equipment is the primary route of HIV transmission in many regions in the world.

Read more about People who use drugs
Hands Off

Sex workers

Sex workers

Globally, sex workers are 13.5 times more likely to be living with HIV than others. Sex work is criminalised in over 110 countries contributing to high levels of violence, stigma, discrimination and other human rights violations. This often results in inconsistent condom use and prevents sex workers from accessing necessary legal support and health care. For example, only 22.5% of female sex workers in Africa have access to HIV prevention programmes. These barriers make sex workers considerably more vulnerable to HIV and AIDS, as well as other sexually transmitted infections and different forms of violence.

Read more about Sex workers
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Adolescent girls and young women

Adolescent girls and young women

Women are disproportionally affected by HIV. In 2022, girls and women made up more than half of the 37.7 million people living with HIV –namely 20.2 million. As a result, AIDS remains the number one death cause for young women worldwide. A main driver for increased levels of contracting HIV is poverty. In many places (young) women lack sustainable livelihoods and income, lack opportunities to education, and face gender inequality.

Read more about Adolescent girls and young women
A portrait of Tinashe and Kumbirai at the GALZ.

Young people

Young people

Young people often lack access to sexual information and services. Policies are often not well aligned to the reality of young people. Young people are not always aware of their rights. This hinders their access to sex education and there is a lack of youth-friendly health services. Therefore, young people are often unable to make informed choices concerning their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), with all the consequences that that entails.

Read more about Young people

Highlights

What is new? Check out our highlights!

A religious leader giving in a speech to an audience in a church

MyChamp: Religious leader opening doors for Zimbabwean sex workers

MyChamp: Religious leader opening doors for Zimbabwean sex workers

Champions for sex workers’ rights are key in protecting human rights. To celebrate the work of allies to sex workers, we interviewed Paul Juru – a Church Elder in the Assemblies of God Church and Religious Champion for INERELA+. He is one of the key members of the movement to welcome sex workers to the church.

Read more about MyChamp: Religious leader opening doors for Zimbabwean sex workers
Cover publication

Self-Care Toolkit on SRHR and HIV for Young People

Self-Care Toolkit on SRHR and HIV for Young People

Developed under the You(th)Care programme, this toolkit is meant to increase young people's understanding of self-care and to equip self-care champions with resources and know-how to be super effective advocates.

Read more about Self-Care Toolkit on SRHR and HIV for Young People
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5 reasons why the Netherlands should support LGBTIQ+ people worldwide

5 reasons why the Netherlands should support LGBTIQ+ people worldwide

The Netherlands is an important ally of LGBTIQ+ people (and their human rights) worldwide. Without this support, LGBTIQ+ organisations and activists defending their rights cannot survive. In this article, we outline 5 reasons why the Dutch government must continue to support LGBTIQ+ people worldwide.

Read more about 5 reasons why the Netherlands should support LGBTIQ+ people worldwide

Partner with us!

Aidsfonds is interested in working together to further strengthen community leadership, increase HIV prevention choices, and improve treatment outcomes and quality of life of people living with or exposed to HIV. We want to talk to anyone who shares our dream and wants to join us on a journey toward a world free of AIDS.

Get in touch!

Get involved
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