Back to projects Improving access to advanced HIV disease care Grant value US$18.6 million Time frame 2024-2027 Lead grantee Aurum Institute Program area HIV and coinfections Status: Active

Despite significant progress , the decline in HIV-related deaths has stagnated in recent years, threatening the global target of ending AIDS by 2030. Up to half of all people living with HIV who seek out care come in with advanced HIV disease, a dangerous advanced stage of the infection that severely compromises a person's immune system. This population is particularly susceptible to opportunistic infections, which can cause serious illness and death. In 2022, 630,000 people worldwide died from AIDS-related illnesses, many of them from advanced HIV disease . Our response Together with a complementary Unitaid project , IMPAACT4HIV aims to improve access to advanced HIV care and treatment in six African countries where HIV is common: Côte d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Mozambique, and South Africa. The project will focus on making early testing and treatment for HIV-related infections more widely available, not just through traditional clinics. This includes bringing care closer to people's homes, starting treatment earlier, and helping patients stick to their treatment plans. To achieve this, IMPAACT4HIV will tackle both supply and demand issues in health care. On the supply side, the project will work to ensure that necessary HIV medicines and supplies are always available. On the demand side, it will strengthen local health care systems by training workers and improving care services, especially for children. The project will also work alongside other health initiatives to make sure patients who need life-saving treatment can get it and stay on it. Finally, the project will use research methods to test and improve how these services are delivered, helping other areas adopt and scale up successful strategies. Through these two investments and building on prior work, Unitaid's advanced HIV disease portfolio seeks to reduce mortality from leading opportunistic infections, including tuberculosis, cryptococcal meningitis, histoplasmosis and severe bacterial infections, while optimizing cost efficiencies for health systems to sustain the national HIV response. As part of this broader effort, Unitaid is also integrating targeted mpox interventions into this work those most at risk, including those with advanced HIV disease. Through a one-year USD 1.5 million investment in 2025 with the Aurum Institute, mpox testing, linkage to care, community engagement and infection-prevention measures are being added to existing HIV grants in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone, with exploration of rapid or near-POC diagnostics to support decentralized response. Working through partnerships such as the WHO-led interim Medical Countermeasures Network, Unitaid is helping expand equitable access to limited mpox tools and strengthen preparedness so countries can implement effective test-and-treat strategies in future outbreaks. Together with a complementary Unitaid project , IMPAACT4HIV aims to improve access to advanced HIV care and treatment in six African countries where HIV is common: Côte d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Mozambique, and South Africa. The project will focus on making early testing and treatment for HIV-related infections more widely available, not just through traditional clinics. This includes bringing care closer to people's homes, starting treatment earlier, and helping patients stick to their treatment plans. To achieve this, IMPAACT4HIV will tackle both supply and demand issues in health care. On the supply side, the project will work to ensure that necessary HIV medicines and supplies are always available. On the demand side, it will strengthen local health care systems by training workers and improving care services, especially for children. The project will also work alongside other health initiatives to make sure patients who need life-saving treatment can get it and stay on it. Finally, the project will use research methods to test and improve how these services are delivered, helping other areas adopt and scale up successful strategies. Through these two investments and building on prior work, Unitaid's advanced HIV disease portfolio seeks to reduce mortality from leading opportunistic infections, including tuberculosis, cryptococcal meningitis, histoplasmosis and severe bacterial infections, while optimizing cost efficiencies for health systems to sustain the national HIV response. As part of this broader effort, Unitaid is also integrating targeted mpox interventions into this work those most at risk, including those with advanced HIV disease. Through a one-year USD 1.5 million investment in 2025 with the Aurum Institute, mpox testing, linkage to care, community engagement and infection-prevention measures are being added to existing HIV grants in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone, with exploration of rapid or near-POC diagnostics to support decentralized response. Working through partnerships such as the WHO-led interim Medical Countermeasures Network, Unitaid is helping expand equitable access to limited mpox tools and strengthen preparedness so countries can implement effective test-and-treat strategies in future outbreaks. Our partner VISIT WEBSITE Learn more International consortium of partners (sub grantees): Our partner VISIT WEBSITE Learn more VISIT WEBSITE