Jennifer Lotito - United States
“I have been humbled by the work that the (RED) products help to fund”
Objects that tell stories are an inherent part of the (RED) model. (RED) would not exist if it weren’t for the Global Fund, and neither would the (RED) iPhone. When it first launched in 2017, the (RED) team was thrilled to add another incredible Apple product to its repertoire. Seeing a product as iconic and universal as the iPhone turn into a force to fight AIDS and save lives was such an important moment.
Over the past 15 years, Apple has led the way in demonstrating the critical role of the private sector in raising awareness and funds to support the fight against AIDS. So far, it has generated over US$250 million for the Global Fund's programs.
I have been fortunate to see the impact of these dollars first-hand and have been humbled by the work that the (RED) products help to fund. I often think back to the time I spent with Dr. Seith Kalota at Nangoma Mission Hospital outside Lusaka, Zambia. We toured what had previously been a ward where patients came to die from AIDS. As we walked through, Dr. Kalota told me that since the community now had access to services and treatment, the ward could be used for different purposes. This made me feel the true, personal impact of what we do.
Similarly, I will never forget the young women I met at the Rise Club outside Johannesburg, South Africa. The club aims to create a safe space for girls and young women to collectively advocate for issues that affect them. Their personal stories of empowerment and taking control of their own lives have stayed with me ever since – both as a woman and as a mother of two teenagers. These are the kinds of initiatives that are critical to ensuring that we see the end of the AIDS pandemic in our lifetime.
Now, as another pandemic threatens the impact of these programs, Apple has stepped up to support the Global Fund’s COVID-19 Response Mechanism and donated millions of dollars’ worth of personal protective equipment to the Ministry of Health in Zambia.
Partners like Apple continue to prove that, now more than ever, companies have a crucial role to play in the fight against both AIDS and COVID-19, because we cannot end the AIDS pandemic without also focusing on the impact of the COVID pandemic.