The Foundation for AIDS Research

What it reported doing in 2024

Treat asiathe asia-pacific region is home to nearly 7 million people living with HIV, the world's largest epidemic after that in eastern and southern africa, with 23% of all new infections globally. Treatment coverage varies significantly across the region, where people living with and at risk for HIV are also challenged by co-infections such as hepatitis, tuberculosis, and mental health issues. With its network of 21 adult and 18 pediatric sites in 12 countries across the region, amfar's treat asia program brings researchers, health professionals, and advocates together to improve standards of care, expand access to treatment and prevention, and support community-led monitoring of health needs across the region. Championing database-driven researchtreat asia manages the asia-pacific section of the international epidemiology databases to evaluate AIDS (iedea), a global collaboration established by the u.s. National institute of allergy and infectious diseases. Iedea is central to the international research in which treat asia participates, ranging from studies on treatment outcomes, cancer screening, and clinical outcomes of pulmonary tb, to mental health challenges faced by adolescents living with HIV. The information gathered from treat asia's observational research databases continues to inform the development of more effective research and treatment programs and help define treatment standards specific to HIV/AIDS in asia along the continuum of care. These data also inform studies on lymphoma, hepatitis, substance use, and alzheimer's disease, among other conditions. Other major database and cohort studies are focusing on HIV treatment failure; management and outcomes of HIV and tb; and mental health screening and linkage to care strategies.supporting adolescent health researchfor adolescents across southeast asia, who represent about 30% of the global adolescent population, the challenge to stay healthy is compounded by health systems that sometimes lack the capacity to address their needs.in response to these gaps, treat asia, in collaboration with longstanding partner chulalongkorn university's school of global health in bangkok, organized an adolescent health and research meeting, a training workshop designed to strengthen adolescent health services and research capacity across southeast asia, in september 2025.treat asia is a leader in research focused on younger people living with HIV, some of whom acquired HIV perinatally. Studies focused on adolescents living with and at risk for HIV address mental health collaborative care, cannabis use, human papillomavirus and cancer risk, and the associations between risk-taking behavior and brain health. Three multi-year studies are described below.thai-papaya (thai program to actively follow perinatal adolescents and young adults living with HIV): implemented in five sites in thailand, this study examines long-term HIV treatment outcomes of adolescents and young adults living with HIV, including retention in care, mortality, health-related quality of life, and sexual and reproductive health, among other issues. Sub-studies on cardiovascular disease, stigma around healthcare transitions, and best practices for helping younger people transition into adult care are also being conducted.suicidal behavior among thai adolescents living with HIV (s-betah): this prospective cohort study aims to determine the prevalence of mental health disorders and suicidal behavior following positive screening and linkage to mental health services. A follow-up phase is assessing the prevalence and incidence of suicidality among this population compared with their HIV-negative age- and sex-matched counterparts. Adolescent and young adult network of iedea (ayani): focusing on adolescents aged 1524 years old, this global study assesses care transitions, co-morbidities, mental health challenges, and factors impacting treatment adherence, viral suppression, care engagement, and mortality. Ten multiregio

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 71%; rating input score 71
• Program expense ratio: 72.3%; rating input score 72
• Fundraising efficiency: $7.65 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Pass
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: 3 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 38
  • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
  • Requires narrative reports: Pass
  • Conducts field audits: Fail
  • May suspend future funding: Fail
  • Requires financial reports: Fail
  • Conducts site visits: Pass
  • Requires grant agreements: Fail
  • May require repayment: Fail
• Grant itemization coverage: 99.9%; rating input score 100; 38th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 4.1%; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.74; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.36; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 12.9%; rating input score 12; 12th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: -3.8% per year; rating input score 0; 4th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -1% per year; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 1.4% per year; rating input score 100; 15th percentile among comparable filings