Billboards in Los Angeles are celebrating the AIDS Healthcare Foundation for reaching the 1.5 million-patient milestone. (image courtesy of AHF)

AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the largest global AIDS organization and which now operates in 45 countries, announced that it has reached a remarkable new milestone in its history: as of Dec. 1 – World AIDS Day – AHF now provides lifesaving HIV/AIDS medical care and services to 1.5 million individuals worldwide through its U.S., Europe, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean and Asia bureaus.

AHF previously crossed the 1 million patient mark in October 2018. Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, AHF was able to add 36 new global treatment clinics and 114,667 new patients since February, just as the coronavirus was taking hold and wreaking havoc worldwide.

“It is a privilege to report that AHF has now reached a truly heartwarming new milestone: AHF now has 1,500,000 lives in care across the globe,” said Michael Weinstein, AHF president. “When you consider that we started with one small but mighty 25-bed facility known as Chris Brownlie Hospice during the early days of the AIDS epidemic back in 1989, or that we set what we thought was a lofty goal of reaching 100,000 lives in care – something which we accomplished in 2009 – this is a momentous achievement. And one that AHF’s leadership and board of directors share with all our staff and AHF family, whether they work at a care site, an Out of the Closet thrift store, an AHF Pharmacy or in an administrative position. What makes this so gratifying is that we know that AHF’s potential to march those last miles to ending AIDS as an epidemic are within our reach and capability. Now, onward to 2 million lives in care.”

To mark its 1.5 million-patient milestone, AHF is rolling out a new billboard campaign in six U.S. cities with 21 billboards, starting in Los Angeles, then expanding to Atlanta, Dallas, South Florida and the Northeast. The campaign will also be shared with some global countries and sites.

The artwork, created by Jason Farmer, senior director of AHF Marketing, features an image of white numbers and letters making up ‘1.5 MILLION’ on a backdrop of a crowd of thousands of people, giving the billboard a pointillist effect – one that underscores the concept of all the lives now under AHF’s care globally.  

For information, visit aidshealth.org.