Seven perspectives: Strengthening AHD care amid funding uncertainty

Global funding cuts are threatening to reverse decades of hard-won progress against HIV, putting the most vulnerable children and adults at greatest risk. The Unitaid-supported THRIVE project, led by CHAI in partnership with AFROCAB and Penta, is supporting country-led strategies to scale access to the AHD package of care for adults and children, whilst navigating these emerging funding challenges.  

This work is rooted in the partnership of a network of stakeholders who are ensuring the needs of PLHIV with AHD are at the center of the response, from community leaders identifying PLHIV at risk in their community, to global stakeholders ensuring the continued prioritization of AHD within global agendas.  

Alongside our THRIVE satellite session at IAS 2025, we invite you to meet a few of the people making this work possible. Each video offers a window into the resilience, innovation, and collaboration that sustain AHD care in the face of global uncertainty, as well as the significant work that remains. 

Community First: Expanding Access to AHD Services through the THRIVE Project

AFROCAB Uganda Country Lead Margaret Happy highlights how recipients of care have been impacted by recent shifts in global HIV funding and the importance of the THRIVE project in providing service continuity during uncertain times.

Voices at the Frontline: Experiences of a THRIVE Facilitator and Champion

THRIVE Facilitator Sarah Lugoloobi and THRIVE Champion Roger Balyejusa share the critical role they play in connecting the most vulnerable community members with care and emphasize the importance of community outreach in response to foreign aid cuts.

Removing Barriers: A Client Perspective on AHD Care

Night, an ART client in Uganda, was suddenly cut off from her HIV medication when community services came to a halt this year. Here, she describes how AFROCAB was able to intervene in time and link her back to life-saving care.

Engaging for Impact: Sensitizing Communities on Advanced HIV Disease

Peter Aknoyera, a Medical Officer at Kisenyi Health Centre IV, describes the significant role that the THRIVE project’s community sensitization activities play in bringing life-saving care to children with AHD.

Collaboration in Action: Behind the Scenes of the THRIVE Project

Dr. Vennie Nabitaka, a Senior Program Manager with CHAI Uganda, shares how CHAI works with partners under the THRIVE project to support community-driven implementation, generate real-world evidence for the STOP AIDS package of care, and carefully operationalize the integration of HIV services into routine care.

Leading Through Uncertainty: A Ministry of Health Perspective

Dr. Proscovia, the National Program Coordinator for AHD and TB/HIV Programming with the Uganda Ministry of Health, shares the history of our collaboration, highlights the importance of AHD and pediatric HIV services, and discusses how the THRIVE project is addressing challenges and looking to build a more resilient future in the wake of foreign aid disruptions.

Sustaining the Response: Unitaid’s Investment in AHD

Carmen Pérez Casas discusses how Unitaid’s investments in AHD, including the THRIVE project, led by CHAI in partnership with AFROCAB and Penta, are supporting country-led strategies to scale access to the AHD package of care for adults and children, whilst navigating the emerging funding challenges.

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Through the generous support of Unitaid, the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI)-led THRIVE Project is enabling access to critical prevention, screening, and treatment commodities for advanced HIV disease to dramatically reduce mortality among adults and children living with HIV. The THRIVE project is conducted in partnership with Afrocab and Penta.