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AHF

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Ms. Veronica Brisco is an advocate who “Speaks Out Loud” about her HIV diagnosis received in December 1999. Although diagnosed in 1999, she determined in May of 2011 to begin a personal journey to openly challenge the world to “Hear Me as I Speak Out Loud and Proud” in the fight against HIV and AIDS.

Ms. Brisco is a native of Philadelphia. Despite the challenges and obstacles of growing up in the inner city, she excelled and thrived in her environment with the love and support of family and friends. She was recruited by many colleges and universities after receiving an extensive number of academic scholarships and awards, including a four-year volleyball scholarship from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES). In 1985, Ms. Brisco was nominated and elected Miss UMES and featured in the Ebony Magazine as one of the reigning Queens of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. As a graduate of UMES

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The 340B drug pricing program allows covered entities serving vulnerable patient populations to buy medications at a discount. Since 1987, AIDS Healthcare Foundation has been on the frontline of the HIV response in the United States.  AHF cares for patients regardless of their ability to pay.  For AHF, 340B savings offset the costs of the critical services it provides to people living with HIV.

The 340B program transforms the healthcare landscape by leveling the playing field so providers can more effectively serve vulnerable communities. When individuals have access to affordable healthcare, they are more likely to seek necessary treatment and preventive services. 

We will explore some key aspects of the 340B program with AHF Assistant Director of Prevention Jomil Luna. As a steadfast supporter of the 340B program, Jomil is a passionate public health and LGBTQ advocate in the New York community. He received his Master’s in Public Health from Rutgers University,

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Despite calls for reform by opponents, 340B enjoys broad bipartisan support.  On the legislative front, lawmakers have introduced multiple bills in the House and Senate that, if enacted, would alter program operations.  Multiple court cases regarding contract pharmacy use are working their way through the judicial system.  Coalitions for and against changes are continuing to make their best case in front of Congress and federal regulators.  In the current environment, AIDS Healthcare Foundation navigates these complex political and legal challenges to ensure 340B functions as a health and wellness multiplier for its over 56,000 patients living with HIV.   

A flurry of 340B-specific legislation and broader healthcare reform packages find themselves in different stages of the legislative process.  In the House, The PROTECT 340B Act of 2023, sponsored by Reps. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) and Dusty Johnson (R-SD), has attracted 16 co-sponsors, but has yet to receive a vote and remains stuck in committee; the bill prohibits

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The landscape of HIV control looks very different than it did 30 years ago.  In the early days of the epidemic, most people living with HIV didn’t know they had the virus.  Our main challenge was finding them, testing them, and getting them into care.

Fast forward to now:  The problem isn’t finding people with HIV.  Eighty-seven percent of people living with HIV already know they are positive.¹  The problem is keeping these people retained in care.

Retention is key because a person can only become virally suppressed if they are regularly in care and staying adherent to the medicines prescribed by their provider.  Viral suppression, in turn, is key because:

1. People with HIV who achieve and keep an undetectable viral load can live long and healthy lives
2. When virally suppressed, the virus levels in the body are so low, the virus will not transmit to the HIV negative partner during

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The monkeypox (renamed mpox by the World Health Organization) outbreak took the world by storm in early May of 2022 on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic. The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) was among the first public health organizations to sound the alarm on mpox, notably found at a higher rate among men who have sex with men (MSM), bringing attention to the outbreak in June of 2022. After the World Health Organization reported viral DNA found in the semen of a handful of mpox patients in Italy and Germany, AHF urged the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to promote condom use. 

To further spread awareness for mpox and raise caution to at-risk communities, AHF held multiple press teleconferences. These teleconferences informed media outlets of the rapidly increasing mpox cases in Los Angeles County and the extremely limited vaccine doses available nationwide. During the conferences, AHF called on the Los Angeles

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Food is so essential. It has many gifts; it evokes memories and brings people together. It is also a unique and wonderful source that provides a deep acumen into our history and other cultures. Food nourishes the body, mind and the soul. And let’s face it, almost all of us have an overt or covert foodie inside of us. However, on the other side of that proverbial fence, hunger is parallel to an incarceration that seems unlikely to ever end. Did you know that one in nine people on earth don’t have enough to eat?

AHF recognizes that food is universal. That is why during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, AHF responded by launching the Food for Health program. It is not a band-aid—AHF’s mission goes beyond the bounds of food. Food for Health is about connecting with your community from every angle, while providing other much needed services.

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