Aid for AIDS

About Us

AID FOR AIDS International is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization committed to improving the quality of life of people living with HIV/AIDS in Latin America and the Caribbean and to empower them and their caregivers by providing access to medications, medical monitoring and treatment/prevention education and by promoting leadership and capacity building.

We also work to educate the health care officials and other community based organizations in Latin American and Caribbean nations to strengthen the medical infrastructure and expertise for basic HIV/AIDS care.

Addressing these unmet needs, AFAI collects HIV medications and supplies that are no longer needed in United States, and then distributes them to needy individuals in Latin America and the Caribbean. AFAI also provides leadership and treatment literacy training. Our educational outreach program targets persons living with HIV/AIDS, their caregivers and healthcare providers.

The advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has reduced AIDS morbidity and mortality in the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia. Unfortunately, the benefits of even the most fundamental of these medical advances have been limited to a very small number of middle income nations in the region.

For the vast majority of individuals living in Latin America and the Caribbean, infection with HIV remains a death sentence. Where antiretroviral and anti-infective therapies are available, the high price of these drugs makes them impossible for all but the very wealthy to afford.

Many physicians and caregivers still do not have access to up-to-date medical information about the treatment and monitoring of HIV infection. Fear and ignorance continue to impede access to education and treatment.

Within the New York City metropolitan area, AFAI also provides case management services for HIV-infected Latin American and Caribbean immigrants and serves as a liaison between these individuals and specialized social workers adept at linking immigrants to medical care and pharmaceutical assistance programs.

For the past eight years, AFAI has provided a vital service to individuals living with HIV/AIDS, their families, their caregivers and medical providers. Until public and private responses to the growing epidemic in the Caribbean and Latin America are commensurate with the extent of need, AFAI remains committed to bridging that gap.