A Legacy Honored through Lifesaving Care

A Milestone for Transgender Health

Razan Alawadhi, nurse practitioner at the Connie Norman Transgender Health Care Clinic (left, in doorway), shows the media a treatment room during the clinic’s opening ceremony.

FLUX and AHF marked the opening of the full-service Connie Norman Transgender Health Center on March 14 in West Hollywood, California.

Queen Victoria Ortega (front left), Queen Chela Demuir (front middle), COO of CONOTEC and CEO of the Unique Woman’s Coalition, and Dr. Carl Millner (front right), AHF Chief Medical Officer, prepare to cut the ribbon during the opening ceremony.

The center provides a comprehensive range of services, including HIV and STI testing and treatment, as well as gender-affirming care. It is housed within the Connie Norman Transgender Empowerment Center (CONOTEC), named in honor of Connie Norman—a pioneering transgender activist and leading member of ACT UP Los Angeles during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States.

“When you care for the most marginalized in our nation, you end up caring for all. We welcome everyone to stand with us in our righteous rebellion as we fight to prevail over injustice. We know we are on the right side of history, and we will never stop fighting for our community,” said Queen Victoria Ortega, International President & Chief Visionary Officer of FLUX/CONOTEC.

FLUX is an AHF affinity group dedicated to creating safe spaces for trans and gender-nonconforming people. Through social events, community building, and innovative advocacy initiatives, FLUX works to elevate the visibility and voices of trans and gender-nonconforming communities.

Brazil Eliminates Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission

Photo: WHO/Adolfo Mesías — First-time mother Marly González Santiago with her newborn.

Brazil has achieved a historic public health milestone, earning validation from the World Health Organization for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV. This success reflects years of investment in universal healthcare access and comprehensive treatment for pregnant women, ensuring that new HIV infections among infants are reduced to extremely low levels.

“This achievement is the result of years of work informed by global experience. As Director of the HIV/STI/VH Department at the time, I was part of the introduction of Brazil’s elimination plan in 2018,” said Dr. Adele Schwartz Benzaken, AHF’s Senior Global Medical Director. “By starting at the municipal level and expanding over time, Brazil was able to scale the initiative nationally, becoming the first country of continental scale to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV in 2025. This milestone highlights what can be accomplished through sustained investment in public health, coordinated national efforts, and a commitment to equitable access to care.”

The achievement underscores what is possible when equity and access to care are prioritized. AHF Brazil, which launched in 2015, continues to support these efforts by expanding HIV testing and treatment, strengthening community outreach, and advocating for patient-centered care.

AHF Brazil currently serves more than 117,000 clients.

Click here to read WHO's news release on this milestone.

Precious Kaniki: Living, Loving, and Leading

ZAMBIA

Precious Kaniki is a linkage assistant for AHF Zambia. Her story is next in our "I Am AHF" series featuring remarkable staff, clients, and partners who are doing what's right to save lives everyday.

Interviewed by Diana Shpak, Knowledge Management Focal Point, AHF Europe.

"I do my best to support people not only with care but with compassion, because sometimes being truly seen can make all the difference," said Precious.

Every name carries a meaning, and in some quiet way, it can shape a person’s destiny. Precious means rare, valuable, and deeply cherished and in Precious Kaniki’s life, that meaning feels beautifully true.

Born in Zambia, the land of the magnificent Victoria Falls, Precious is 32 years old and has been living with HIV for more than 19 years. She was only 14 years old when she tested HIV positive. An age when life should still feel gentle and protected and not marked by a diagnosis that would change everything. Her journey with AHF began in 2015, when she started volunteering at the clinic where she collected her own medication. After graduating in Social Work, she continued serving there, later completed AHF-sponsored HIV Medic training, and officially joined AHF in 2017.

For many years, Precious lived in denial about her diagnosis. But during her training, she came to truly understand and accept what it means to live with HIV. That turning point changed her life. Now, in her 9th year with AHF Zambia, Precious serves as a Linkage to Care Assistant, transforming her own story into strength, compassion, and hope for others.

Can you share a moment that deeply shaped who you are today?

There is one experience I always speak about, because it shaped me into the person, I am today. I met a 19-year-old girl who had just tested positive for HIV. At that time, I was 24, and for the first time in a long while, I saw myself in her.

For seven years, I had not been taking my medication. I had gone through denial, darkness, and even thoughts of suicide. When I saw her crying uncontrollably, something in me changed. I told myself, “This girl will not go through what I went through.”

AHF Commemorates International Women's Day

Several AHF country teams marked International Women’s Day on March 8 with media and community events—putting power in the hands of women and girls to safeguard their health and accelerate HIV prevention and treatment.

AHF Tanzania held a business exhibition featuring women leaders while delivering comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education to youth and guests. Onsite HIV testing and family planning services ensured that women and girls could access essential care in a safe, welcoming environment.

AHF Zambia commemorated International Women’s Day by donating food and household supplies to Mama Waluse Orphanage, home to 455 children. The day was filled with games, talent shows, dances, and laughter shared between residents and AHF staff.

AHF Peru joined forces with the Municipality of San Juan de Miraflores and the Ministry of Health to participate in a community fair celebrating women. The activation provided an opportunity to raise awareness about health services and empower women with invaluable sexual health information.

AHF Nigeria engaged media calling for greater commitment from governments, policymakers, and communities to create opportunities and support systems for women and girls while also bringing attention to the disproportionate effect of HIV on women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa, where they account for more than 60% of new infections.

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