- HIV/AIDS is a leading cause of adult deaths in the developing world1
- Charities' programs vary drastically in cost-effectiveness ranging from $150 per case averted to $550 per year of treatment provided (more)
- We recommend three charities working on HIV/AIDS: Population Services International, Partners in Health, and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria
*Data from Gap Minder. HIV infected (% of adults ages 15-49) (XLS).
How do charities address HIV/AIDS?
Charities aim to prevent new infections by encouraging safer sexual behavior and/or distributing needed items (such as condoms) or providing medicine that prevents pregnant mothers from transmitting the virus to their newborn (either during pregnancy or while breastfeeding). Charities also provide care for those already infected by supplying drugs. (Unfortunately, these drugs don't cure the disease, though they slow its progression.)
The table below provides what we know about the most common programs charities run.
| Program | Impact | Cost-effectiveness (best case) | More information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Condom promotion and distribution | When implemented effectively, prevents cases of HIV/AIDS | $550-2,240 per case of HIV/AIDS averted. | Program review |
| Drug treatment with Anti-retroviral Therapy (ART) | ART prolongs life but does not cure HIV/AIDS | $130-550 per year of treatment provided. | Program review |
| Prevention of mother-to-child transmission | Prevents cases of HIV/AIDS transmitted from mother-to-child during pregnancy or while breastfeeding | $150-$300 per case of HIV/AIDS averted | Program review |
| Peer support groups | Unclear if any | N/A | Review of mothers2mothers, a charity which runs a peer-support program. |
What are the challenges of finding a great HIV/AIDS charity?
There are many proven, effective methods for addressing the problem. There's strong evidence that condoms can prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS; that appropriate medicine can prevent newborns from contracting HIV/AIDS from their mothers; and that drugs can treat and slow the progression of the disease (though not cure it).
But not every charity working on HIV/AIDS is having impact and doing so cost-effectively. For example:
- Many charities focus on HIV/AIDS education. We believe that trying to change behavior through education should be assumed to be an uphill battle. Charities that aim to change the way people live their lives bear the burden of proof to show that they have succeeded in doing so.
- Programs vary widely in cost-effectiveness. We estimate that under certain conditions $150-$300 can prevent a mother from transmitting the virus to her newborn, and $550-$2,240 spent on condom distribution and prevention can result in one case of HIV averted.2 At the same time, it can cost that much just to treat the disease for a few years.3
Where should you donate to fight HIV/AIDS?
We recommend these charities, in the following order, for donors interested in using their donation to fight HIV/AIDS:
- Population Services International (PSI), whose largest program promotes and distributes condoms to prevent HIV/AIDS. For more, see our full review of PSI.
- Partners in Health (PIH), a group that provides comprehensive health care to individuals in the developing world by creating and managing hospitals, health centers, and a network of community health workers. PIH is known for bringing drugs to treat HIV/AIDS to some of the poorest parts of the world. For more, see our full review of PIH.
- Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria (GFATM), an extremely large funder providing a broad variety of support to (largely) local government-run programs to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria throughout the developing world. For more, see our full review of GFATM.
- 1.
See list of leading causes of death (2004).
- 2.
See our full reports on prevention of mother-to-child transmission and condom distribution for more information.
- 3.
We estimate that it costs over $100 a year to treat a person with anti-retroviral drugs. See our full review of anti-retroviral therapy for more information.
