Click here to read Blood:Water’s executive director, Jake Smith’s letter in The Tennessean.

December 1, 2023

World Aids Day is commemorated every Dec. 1. While it is a day to recognize how far we’ve come in the fight against the global AIDS/HIV epidemic, it is also a day to recognize that the fight isn’t over, and there is so much more work to be done. 

Despite decades of work and trillions of dollars spent, the linked water and HIV/AIDS crises in Africa persist.

Blood:Water is an international nonprofit that partners with African community-driven organizations to end health disparities caused by the HIV/AIDS and water crises.

We support under-resourced community-driven organizations with long-term and intentional organizational strengthening and flexible financial support.

Blood:Water has supported and strengthened 33 partners in 12 countries who have: provided nearly 700,000 people with HIV prevention services, supplied more than 250,000 people with HIV testing and counseling, provided nearly 1 million people with access to safe water, and trained more than 1.1 million people in proper sanitation and hygiene practices.

The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has been vital in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

At Blood:Water we’ve positioned our support into communities to leverage PEPFAR investments for amplified impact in the form of access and continuity of care. It is critical that congress reauthorize PEPFAR without delay.