Accelerate North Carolina Project

North Carolina is one of about 17 states that has not yet expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Medicaid currently provides 72 million people in the US with health coverage and is the single largest source of coverage for people with HIV in the country, estimated to cover about 40% of all people with HIV. Medicaid expansion in North Carolina would not be only a significant win for the state, but it would also potentially reverberate throughout the region, boosting momentum in other non-expansion states and with the Foundation's support, we continue to advocate for this Medicaid expansion.

ACCELERATE: HIV Services for Key Populations Affected by HIV/AIDS

With funding from the Foundation, John Hopkins University is expanding direct service delivery to high-burden states in North India to improve the HIV care among vulnerable populations with preventative treatment, HIV treatment, and HIV self-testing.

Addressing the Health Needs of Sex Workers and MSM in Tanzania

This public-private partnership to address unmet health needs of men who have sex with men and sex workers in Tanzania to improve access to HIV prevention, care, and treatment information and services via social media and information communication technology, improve access to comprehensive screening and treatment services and increase the capacity of organizations to deliver HIV services and address issues of stigma and discrimination.

Alamo Area Resource Center

The Alamo Area Resource Center have established the first telemedicine model in Texas for HIV and LGBTQ health care. The project allows clinicians to continue seeing patients in a virtual environment, allowing the majority to remain at home without risking exposure via public transportation or sitting in a clinic waiting room.

Assessing the US Epidemic in the Current Era

The Kaiser Family Foundation, with funding from the Elton John AIDS Foundation, is supporting an effort to monitor and analyse the evolving US HIV health policy landscape to provide timely and critical information and data to the HIV, policy, and media communities. It assesses the latest developments in HIV programs and funding drawing out the implications of broader health and other policy changes for people with and at risk of HIV, including gaps, challenges, and opportunities. It focuses particular attention on the hardest-hit and hardest-to-reach populations, including young MSM, people of colour, and transgender women.

BeOnLine: A Platform to Expanding HIV Testing Among Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) in Kazakhstan

In response to dramatically increasing HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Kazakhstan, this project is expanding access to HIV through HIV self-testing and leveraging social media to ensure the needs of a stigmatized population are addressed and accessible.

Birmingham AIDS Outreach

With the help of our COVID-19 Emergency Fund, Birmingham AIDS Outreach developed a plan for drive-through HIV and STI testing through their mobile testing unit ‘Mabel'. Clients can be tested for HIV while remaining inside of their vehicles, limiting the amount of contact and reducing chances of Coronavirus transmission. This testing method has been extremely successful and has helped to prevent any further lapse in testing availability. In addition to their mobile testing unit, they developed a set of educational videos that covered the HIV facts and information that would usually be given to a client post-test.

Building Bridges Between men who have sex with me and Public Health Institutions

Key populations are not eager to get tested for HIV/STI in AIDS centers and public checkpoints, due to lack of trust and a high level of internalized homophobia. Fulcrum shares best experiences of providing nondiscriminatory medical services to MSM and LGBT with public health institutions (AIDS centers and public checkponts) that are permanent and funded by the government (model of decentralization of nondiscriminatory medical services). These comprehensive measures provide sustainability of HIV services for MSM and LGBTI (AIDS centers and public checkponts).

Building Capacity of the Zambia Correctional Service to Provide Holistic and Integrated Health Services to Juveniles

Zambian inmates suffer malnutrition, overcrowding, risk of contracting disease, and risk of rape and torture. Of the 22,000 prison population, 3% are juveniles. Juveniles face many risks, including high risk for acquisition of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Other diseases, such as TB, are prevalent at rates higher than the in the general population, and access to health services is severely limited. Historically, investment in HIV prevention and care services has not focused on the specific needs of incarcerated juveniles, and there has been an urgent need to provide comprehensive, holistic, juvenile-appropriate prevention and treatment medical services.

Centre for Sexual Health and HIV AIDS Research

CeSHHAR Zimbabwe is using emergency funding to equip workers with personal protective equipment (PPE) to safely conduct outreach for male and female sex workers, whilst setting up online services to support people’s adherence to treatment to keep services running during the pandemic.

Challenge Fund Scale-Up-Kenya

Adult men constitute the largest segment of those with unknown status in sub-Saharan Africa. HIV self-testing has proven to be an effective tool for overcoming men's reluctance to test. In Kenya, CIFF, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and Unitaid have created a distribution system to provide HIV self-testing kits available in pharmacies, community centers, and high risk workplaces so young men are motivated to find out their status to protect their partners.

CHATSI (Vigilance) – Comprehensive HTS, Adherence, and Treatment Services for Inmates

To reduce the 31.4% HIV prevalence rate among male prisoners in Lesotho, Jhpiego works with the government of Lesotho to provide HIV care to inmates by identifying undiagnosed HIV-infected prisoners and linking HIV+ prisoners to care and treatment services.

Chukua Selfie

As part of MenStar, Chukua Selfie is a media campaign aimed to motivate young men to stay informed and use HIV self-testing, a specific simple way to know HIV status, confidentially, at a time and place of their choosing across Kenya.

Community-Led Mobile-Based Harm Reduction

This project removes the barriers to comprehensive harm reduction services and linkage to treatment for people who use drugs. Four sites and community-run one-stop services centres support people who use drugs of which 3,000 will be reached and tested in Indonesia.

Criminal Law and HIV Transmission in a Changing Landscape

The prosecution of reckless transmission cases fails to acknowledge the wider responsibility of all individuals in maintaining sexual health. They attract a disproportionate level of sensationalised media coverage, significantly contributing to HIV stigma. NAT supports good practice, ensuring investigations follow recommended practice, and challenge those that don't and also coordinates a consensus position on use of criminal law and will develop an action plan for advocacy and influence.

Expanding Access to HIV Services for People Who Inject Drugs in Myanmar

As of 2015, there were approximately 83,000 people who use drugs in Myanmar. More HIV-positive people who use drugs live in rural areas than in urban areas, and few receive HIV tests. With funding from the Foundation, this vulnerable population is being served through training in methadone replacement and life-saving HIV treatment to allow providers to better treat drugs adjustment and recovery, establishing satellite clinics with integrated HIV and drug substitution therapy.

Friends For Life Corporation

Friends For Life distributes food pantry bags for over 700 clients per month directly out of their main office. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, Friends For Life shifted to delivery distribution allowing clients to remain safely in their homes, instead of navigating public transit and spaces to procure basic food and hygiene products, while simultaneously lessening the risk of COVID-19 infections for essential on-site staff.

Fund for Resilience, Equity, and Engagement (FREE)

Although Black gay and bisexual men account for one in 500 people living in the US, they make up nearly one in four new HIV infections and one in six Americans living with HIV. An estimated overall 21% of transgender individuals are infected with HIV in the US, which is approximately three times higher among Black transgender people. Through this new initiative, the Foundation's goal is intensive focus on community support and mobilization to develop programs to reduce new infection rates and AIDS-related illness and death and confront racism, homophobia, and transphobia as key drivers of HIV infection and disease.

Guiding Right

With support from the Foundation's COVID-19 Emergency Fund, Guiding Right transitioned in-person care services to virtual for HIV prevention, testing and treatment. Guiding Right also supported their sub grantee, Other Options, to buy food from regional food banks to maintain weekly deliveries to 2,000 clients.

HIV in the Justice System

This project addresses HIV-related issues in the criminal justice system. This project contributes to NAT's wider aim for people living with HIV to have equal rights under the law.

HIV Prevention in Armenia

This project will provide HIV and AIDS prevention and awareness efforts among men who have sex with men and members of the LGBT community who have been left out of other HIV services in Armenia.

IDEA Exchange – Empowerment, Outreach, and Systems Change

With the Foundation's support, IDEA Exchange can empower people who use drugs through peer leadership training, provide remote outreach, conduct street medicine, and advocate for the community.

Improved TB/HIV Screening in Ethiopian Prisons

This project tests prison populations in Ethiopia for HIV to connect them with care and treatment.

Improving Access and Uptake of Tailored HIV Services for LGBT

This Elton John AIDS Foundation funded project is designed with innovative interventions to progress HIV programming for LGBT people. It's working to improve access to HIV and STI prevention, care, and treatment services for 8,500 LGBT people, whilst building the capacity of health facilities to provide effective, stigma-free services and advocate for government accountability in delivering quality health services and scaling up access to new interventions for LGBT people in the long term.

India HIV/AIDS Alliance

India HIV/AIDS Alliance are transitioning services online and promoting health seeking behaviour and information, whilst providing direct home support to LGBT communities at risk of or living with HIV.

Providing home-delivery of HIV medication is a vital lifeline for people living with HIV during the countries lockdown.

Innovative HIV and Harm Reduction Solutions for Underserved Segments of Key and Bridge Populations in Ukraine

The Alliance uses new technologies to improve access to harm reduction and HIV services for LGBT unable to visit conventional services, young recreational users of psychoactive substances, and youth practicing unsafe sex.

Keeping Adolescent Girls and Young Women HIV Free in Turkana County, Kenya

AIDS-related illnesses remain the leading cause of death among adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa. Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) are disproportionately affected: 74% of all new HIV infections among adolescents occur in adolescent girls. With support from the Foundation, Save the Children UK continues its aim to strengthen the capacity of HIV and sexual reproductive health services for AGYW, increase the demand for HIV prevention services for AGYW, and promote an enabling environment for AGYW to access HIV information and services.

Kostamowin addressing community fear

In Saskatoon, which has been ground zero for Canada's HIV epidemic, we will hire a full-time Community Patroller to pick up improperly discarded needles and distribute harm reduction supplies and food to clients in need throughout inner-city Saskatoon.

Moscow Lighthouse

This project aims to extend access to HIV prevention and health care services for the LGBT community in the Moscow city area through HIV testing and counseling, self-testing, preventative treatment and delivering services for MSM/LGBT labor migrants from other Eastern European or Central Asian countries.

MSMG – LGBT Fund

Novosibirsk Lighthouse

The project improves HIV prevention, care, and support programs for key populations in one of the areas most heavily impacted by HIV in Russia, the Novosibirsk region.

Online Therapy with London HIV Clinics

The Foundation-funded project offers people living with HIV access to online services, providing clients with accessible and convenient support, the promise of increased anonymity, and ultimately increased empowerment to better manage their sexual health and well-being: much-needed services for PLHIV that will help them live healthier and happier lives.

Perkumpulan Rumah Cemara

Rumah Cemara are distributing HIV medication to people living with HIV in their homes to avoid them being exposed to COVID-19. Rumah Camara are also providing virtual support services; an online meeting platforms allows them to provide workshops, tele-counselling service, and facilitate group support meetings.

Positive Justice and Sexual Health Projects

The Center for HIV law and policy is expanding its work that connects HIV criminalization with the criminalization of sex workers and people who inject drugs. This includes a comprehensive overview of laws and policies criminalizing viral hepatitis across the US, including the relationship between these laws and laws criminalizing HIV.

PrEPster

The Foundation has enabled PrEPster to undertake substantial education and advocacy activity in the UK.

READY 4 an AIDS-Free Future, Maputo, Mozambique

This Elton John AIDS Foundation-funded project is being implemented in Maputo city and Matola. It is designed to benefit adolescents and young people at highest risk of HIV by enabling access to a comprehensive package of HIV and sexual reproductive health services; from HIV prevention to testing, treatment, and care services. It caters to the most marginalised adolescents and young people, helping those who are HIV negative to stay negative and those who are HIV positive to get diagnosed and ongoing treatment.

Ryan White and HIV: The Power of Children and a Mother’s Story

In 2007, The Children's Museum of Indianapolis opened The Power of Children, a permanent gallery that shares the stories of three 20th century children who overcame adversity in their lives to inspire children today to fight discrimination and intolerance and make a positive difference in the world. Through funding from the Foundation, it brings stories to life and serves as an intimate theater where struggles against AIDS and intolerance can be told to visitors from all over the world, with the mission of educating the world about AIDS and its victims.

Samarth 2.0

Samarth 2.0 offers a model to demonstrate a community-led intervention for men who have sex with men, transgender people and hijras in six priority sites. Samarth 2 aims to expand community-specific combination prevention services to include HIV screening, testing, treatment, and PrEP.

Sero Project General Support, Network Connect, and Latin American Organizing

Sero's primary effort, enabled by the Foundation, is working to end HIV criminalization and to inspire and strengthen the voices of people living with HIV. Sero's state and local anti-criminalization work includes coordination and production of statewide strategic planning sessions, an extensive speaking schedule, community forums, agency-specific trainings, and service as a rapid response resource. Sero also provides direct service to people who are threatened with or facing prosecution for HIV.

SisterLove

SisterLove have adapted their HIV, Testing and Counselling and Linkage to Care programming to provide clients with HIV home testing kits . SisterLove are also providing virtual counselling, linkage to care, prevention education, and support to their clients. This has ensured their clients are able to access resources, stay engaged and continue to feel part of the community through times of isolation.

Sisters with a Voice

Female sex workers (FSW) in Africa bear the brunt of HIV. In Zimbabwe, HIV prevalence is 58% among FSW, and incidence is high. In 2009, the Sisters with a Voice programme was established by CeSHHAR on behalf of National AIDS Council for FSW and has national reach, operating in 36 sites across Zimbabwe. Clinical services are provided at government health facilities, supported by peer-led community empowerment; 53,000 FSW have been seen to date.

Southern HIV Impact Fund 2020

The Southern HIV Impact Fund coordinates funding to address HIV rates in the South and prioritizes intersecting, equity-based organizations/movements to enhance and better coordinate HIV prevention, care and support services, and advocacy efforts. The Fund provides grants to help serve trans-identified and gender-nonconforming people; Black and Latinx gay, bisexual, and queer men; and other people of color. The Fund also serves people who experience oppressive policing and mass incarceration and addresses reproductive justice issues, with an emphasis on enhancing services for people living with HIV (PLWH) and preventing new infections in the South.

St. Petersburg Lighthouse

This project will expand HIV, TB, and hepatitis C prevention, treatment, and care services in St. Petersburg for people who use drugs, including street sex workers, in partnership with municipal and state services. The project speeds up the detection of HIV and tuberculosis, prescribes life-saving HIV treatment and anti-TB drugs in a timely manner, and keep patients in treatment, which will reduce the number of deaths from these diseases.

Subhiksha

In India, unprotected male-to-male sex, laws against distribution of condoms in prisons, and high rates of injected drug use contribute to high risk of HIV/STI among prisoners. There have been relatively few HIV interventions among prisoners, among whom an estimated 6,800 are living with HIV. The Foundation-funded project expands HIV prevention-to-care continuum services to male prisoners and their families in three vulnerable states in India through health and structural interventions. It also works to create an enabling environment in prisons, prepare prisoners with life-coping skills, and link family members of prisoners to social-legal protection services to reduce vulnerability to HIV/STI.

Support. Don’t Punish: A Global Movement for Harm Reduction

Support. Don't Punish is a global grassroots-centred initiative in support of harm reduction and drug policy reform. The Foundation-funded campaign puts harm reduction on the political agenda by strengthening the mobilisation capacity of affected communities and their allies, opening dialogue with policy makers and raising awareness among the media and the public.

The Center for Community Solutions

With our support, The Center for Community Solutions has helped local service providers in the area to purchase Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for their staff and vulnerable clients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Food Chain

The Food Chain are responding to the needs of the most vulnerable people living with HIV in London who have no access to food supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic. They have been providing food parcels to support people during this uncertain time.

The GAIA Elizabeth Taylor Mobile Health Clinic Program and Coalition

In the Mulanje and Phalombe districts, this grant ensured that the 95,000 men, women, and children estimated to be living with HIV and their roughly one million neighbours were within an hour's walk of services at least once per week. The full program treated an average of 1,111 clients per day.

Universal Access to Health for All: Healthy and Empowered LGBT Communities

This Elton John AIDS Foundation-funded project addresses high HIV (13.7%) and STI (39%) prevalence among the LGBT community in Uganda. It addresses LGBT limited access to health services due to prohibitive laws and policies, lack of information, low HIV-risk perception and health-care-seeking behavior, stigma and discrimination, socio-cultural beliefs; limited health facilities with friendly services, negative health worker attitudes, and limited medicine stocks. It improves access to HIV and STI prevention, care and treatment information, and services to LGBT people, while indirectly addressing stigma, discrimination, and violence.

Vermont Cares

Vermont Cares transitioned to a mobile model of service and will use emergency funds from the Foundation to provide fuel for the increased use of their mobile prevention van. They are also providing syringe exchange supplies, safer sex kits, and COVID-19 materials including sanitisers and face masks.

VOCAL Kenya/Harm Reduction International

Voices of Community Action and Leadership and Harm Reduction International are working with women who use drugs and women living with HIV in the slum areas of Kibera and Kawangware in Nairobi to urgently extend hygiene, harm reduction and HIV prevention services.

We Can End AIDS US Presidential Grassroots Campaign

The goal of this nonpartisan campaign is to reignite US leadership in the global HIV response by ensuring that the 2020 president-elect commits to defeating AIDS around the world. This Foundation-funded initiative is building a diverse coalition of HIV, LGBTQ, public health, human rights, foreign policy, racial justice, trade justice, and environmental justice groups that will campaign to ensure the global AIDS response is firmly on the agenda in the 2020 elections run-up, developing a bold policy platform on the US role in HIV response.