Wellness on wheels

Wellness on Wheels: Uganda's Boda Boda Riders Mobilized for STI Prevention

Boda Boda Riders Mobilized for HIV Prevention In Uganda

Watch boda boda riders hit the road as AHF ambassadors for sexual wellness.

Through a new sexual wellness campaign, AHF Uganda Cares has teamed up with boda boda riders—motorcycle taxi operators who are now doubling as health ambassadors. From promoting free STI/HIV testing to encouraging condom use, riders are helping connect their communities to free sexual health services at the Kitante and Kalungu Wellness Centres.

“At Kalungu Wellness Centre, we believe no one should be left behind when it comes to sexual health," said Dr. Cecilia Natembo, AHF Uganda Cares Southwest Regional Medical Director. "Through this boda boda activation, we are taking services closer to the people, breaking stigma, increasing awareness, and offering treatment with dignity."

Riders at Kalungu Wellness Centre receive training on AHF services and STI prevention.

Equipped with free branded bumper stickers and bright orange vests, riders received training on STI prevention and how to connect passengers and community members to AHF care—turning them into trusted health advocates on the road. More than 5,000 free condoms were also provided for riders to distribute throughout their commutes.

With an estimated 1.5 million boda bodas in Uganda, they are more than just a main mode of transportation—they are trusted, highly visible, and deeply connected members of their communities. By equipping them as health mobilizers, AHF is leveraging their influence to break down stigma, combat misinformation, and reach far more people with critical sexual health services than traditional outreach alone could achieve.

“As a rider, I meet so many people every day. With this reflector jacket and sticker, I feel proud to direct them to a place that offers free and confidential STI screening and treatment," said Sulaiman Kato, a boda boda rider. "AHF Kitante Wellness Centre in Kampala is truly a lifeline for our community.”

For many in hard-to-reach areas, this campaign is bringing resources closer than ever before.

One of our first global programs, AHF opened the first Uganda Cares clinic in Masaka District in 2002 through a collaboration with the Ugandan Ministry of Health, providing the first opportunity for treatment outside Kampala in a public health facility. Today, AHF Uganda Cares serves more than 227,000 clients.

Empowering Indigenous Communities Through HIV Prevention and Care

Watch Natasha Dormoi Eluf (third from left), AHF Panama’s Country Program Manager, and partners celebrate the launch of the HIV outreach program in Ngäbe Buglé.

AHF Panama, in partnership with the Ministry of Health’s Ngäbe Buglé Health Region, recently launched a new HIV prevention, testing, and care linkage program, empowering Indigenous communities in Ngäbe Buglé—one of the country’s most underserved and hard-to-reach regions.

Facing high rates of late HIV diagnosis and AIDS-related deaths, this initiative is breaking down barriers of distance, stigma, and limited access. Working with health authorities and community leaders, the program trains community HIV testers—local residents equipped to provide rapid testing and counseling—bringing lifesaving services directly to these Indigenous populations.

Operations are based at the Ministry of Health’s primary care center in Soloy, the hub from which AHF teams coordinate community outreach and link clients directly to HIV clinics for treatment and care. AHF has supported the two local clinics since 2023.

"We are grateful and ready to work hand in hand with AHF to improve health and change the reality of our people," said Victor Bejarano, Besikó District Cacique (indigenous leader).

AHF began operations in Panama in 2018 and now provides care to over 7,000 clients.

In 2023 Ngäbe-Buglé accounted for 30% of the country's total AIDS-related deaths among people age 29 or younger.

Dr. Hang Nguyen: From Dreamer to Leader

VIETNAM

Dr. Hang Nguyen is AHF Vietnam's Country Program Director. 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.

"When we communicate with communities without fear, we reduce stigma and discrimination, making it easier to fight HIV/AIDS effectively,” said Dr. Hang.

I am Hang, a pediatrician with a Master’s degree in Public Health specializing in infectious diseases and environmental health, with more than 20 years of experience in HIV/AIDS programs. Over the years, I have served as a medical doctor, community health counselor, program officer, manager, and director, working with both government and international organizations.

When I was a medical student, I dreamed of working for an international NGO because I wanted to see and help people from different parts of my country and around the world. To pursue this dream, I applied for a government-funded scholarship and spent two years at Monash University in Australia earning my Master’s degree.

After returning to Vietnam, I landed my first job with World Vision International and later worked with the USAID-funded Policy Project before joining AHF.

I have had a long journey with AHF—19 years filled with learning, challenges, and growth. I still remember my first days. As the Vietnam program had just launched, it was only me in the office. I wore many hats—program officer, finance officer, marketing and advocacy officer, and more—learning to manage all aspects of a growing program.

AHF Advocates for Equity at WHO Intergovernmental Working Group Meeting

AHF’s Tamara Prinsenberg Delivers Intervention at Intergovernmental Working Group Meeting

Watch AHF's Tamara Prinsenberg's call for equity during the opening session of the Intergovernmental Working Group meeting.

During last week's World Health Organization (WHO) Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) session, AHF representatives were on hand to speak and advocate to WHO Member States to take meaningful steps to correct inequities in the existing Pandemic Agreement framework, specifically related to the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) System.

AHF Europe Advocacy and Policy Manager Tamara Prinsenberg gave a powerful call for equity at the IGWG opening session while AHF Global Health Institute Director Guilherme Faviero issued a timely statement at the "Ensuring Equity in the Pandemic Agreement and the PABS Annex" side event. Prinsenberg and Faviero represented AHF Brazil at the IGWG session as a Relevant Stakeholder.

A core element of the Pandemic Agreement is the PABS System, which trades pathogen samples and genomic data for annual financial contributions and requires manufacturers to reserve a share of pandemic-related products as shared benefits. But without binding commitments on technology transfer, regional manufacturing, and sustainable financing, advocates warn the system could repeat COVID-19’s mistakes—when vaccine hoarding cost more than 1.3 million lives, hitting low- and middle-income countries the hardest.

"Equity cannot be reduced to percentages of donated or discounted products," said Guilherme Faviero. "Negotiations must also secure the transfer of know-how and technology to enable regional manufacturing of outbreak-related public-health goods and commit the technical and financial resources needed to build sustainable capacity in every region."

AHF's Guilherme Faviero at WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

Learn more about AHF's Pandemic Agreement advocacy in the AHF Global Public Health Institute's latest statement: Pandemic Agreement Annex Negotiations Must Deliver Equity, Transparency, and Accountability.

Now Streaming: Don’t Miss the Latest Episode

The third episode of The Global Public Health Revolution: Beyond 2025 podcast is titled Youth Voices and Global Health Part 1: From Ukraine to the Philippines. This time, we hear from youth advocates Viktoriia from Ukraine and Jullian from the Philippines, who share their personal journeys into advocacy and the urgent challenges young people face today.

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