Health GAP

What Health GAP does

Health GAP (Global Access Project) is a 501(c)(3) international advocacy organization founded in 1999 in New York City by Dr. Alan Berkman to eliminate barriers to affordable HIV treatment in the global South. Its mission is operationalized through three reinforcing activities: grassroots power-building, policy analysis, and direct advocacy aimed at governments, pharmaceutical corporations, and multilateral institutions. Health GAP is credited with helping drive antiretroviral medicine costs down by more than 99%, playing a catalytic role in the 2003 creation of PEPFAR, and holding formal seats on the Unitaid and Global Fund boards via NGO delegations.

The organization operates without proprietary technology. Its "products" are advocacy campaigns, policy initiatives, and community-led monitoring programs organized around four strategic pillars: Access to Medicines, Funding the Fight, Health Justice, and Transparency & Accountability (including PEPFAR Watch). Programs are delivered through staff in the United States (New York, Washington DC), East Africa (Uganda, Kenya), Southern Africa (South Africa, plus coverage in Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe), South Asia (India), Southeast Asia (Thailand), Latin America (Brazil, Colombia), and multilateral hubs in Geneva, totaling 16 geographies.

Health GAP's revenue model is grant- and donation-based. It explicitly refuses funding from governments and pharmaceutical companies to preserve independence, relying instead on private foundations and individual donors. It distributes fiscal sponsorship to the Student Global AIDS Campaign and accepts donations via its website. The organization reports no disclosed revenue, no funding rounds, no investors, and a headcount of 1-10, with named leadership including Executive Director Asia Russell (Kampala) and Directors for U.S. and International Policy & Advocacy.

Name

Health GAP

Legal name

Health GAP (Global Access Project)

Website

https://healthgap.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Health GAP is a 501(c)(3) advocacy organization founded in 1999 that campaigns globally to remove barriers to affordable HIV treatment, working through grassroots mobilization, policy analysis, and direct advocacy with governments, pharmaceutical firms, and multilateral institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

HIV/AIDS Advocacy Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Global Health Advocacy, Policy & Rights Organizations (HLAJAKAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disease-Specific Global Programs (HIV/TB/Malaria/NTDs) (HLAJAKAF), Public Health & Health Equity Organizations (BPAGACAL), Health Equity, Access & Social Determinants Programs (BPAIAJAO)

Keywords

• HIV treatment access
• Global health advocacy
• Pharmaceutical access campaigns
• Grassroots AIDS activism
• HIV policy advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Foundations and Grants: Health GAP receives funding from grants and foundations to sustain their advocacy work. They are transparent about not accepting government or pharmaceutical company funding to maintain independence.
2. Individual Donors: Health GAP relies on individual donors to support their work. They accept donations through their website and have financial documents publicly available.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Health GAP (Global Access Project) is an international advocacy organization that campaigns to eliminate barriers to affordable, life-saving HIV treatment, prevention, and care for people living with HIV worldwide. The organization uses grassroots power building, policy analysis, and direct action advocacy to confront governments, pharmaceutical corporations, and international institutions whose policies obstruct access to HIV medicines and services for marginalized populations.

Product overview

Health GAP (Global Access Project) is an international advocacy organization, not a technology product company. The organization does not offer a unified software platform or modular product suite. Rather, it conducts advocacy programs organized around four strategic priorities: Access to Medicines, Funding the Fight, Health Justice, and Transparency & Accountability (including PEPFAR Watch). Its 'products' are advocacy campaigns, policy initiatives, community-led monitoring programs, and coalition-building efforts aimed at ensuring access to life-saving HIV treatment globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Access to Medicines Campaign Advocacy program campaigning for affordable HIV medicines, opposing pharmaceutical monopolies, supporting generic production (notably in India), and pushing back against U.S. government trade pressure on countries seeking low-cost HIV drugs.
• Funding the Fight Campaign Advocacy program mobilizing increased funding for global AIDS programs, defending PEPFAR and Global Fund budgets from U.S. government cuts, and watchdoging multilateral HIV financing.
• Health Justice Campaign Advocacy program fighting for evidence-based, dignified HIV services for marginalized communities including LGBTQI+ people, men who have sex with men, people who use drugs, and sex workers, and pushing for decriminalization and removal of harmful laws.
• Transparency & Accountability / PEPFAR Watch Coalition and watchdog program monitoring PEPFAR programs, ensuring donor accountability, and supporting civil society engagement in PEPFAR country-level planning processes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Helped drive down costs of antiretroviral medicines to less than 99% of their initial price
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Durban Declaration Endorsers (100+ organizations)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2021Health GAP co-authored the Durban Declaration with over 100 African civil society organizations including Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), AVAC, amfAR, Global Network of People living with HIV (GNP+), and many others. The declaration demands increased funding for key populations and decriminalization.
• Student Global AIDS Campaign (SGAC)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerHealth GAP is a close activist partner and fiscal sponsor of the Student Global AIDS Campaign (SGAC), a U.S.-based network of students and young people demanding delivery on the promise of an AIDS-free generation. Health GAP prioritizes building the power of young AIDS activists across the United States to demand U.S. accountability to end the AIDS pandemic.
• UnitaidcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth GAP staff currently serve on the NGO delegation to the Unitaid Board. They advocate to hold Unitaid accountable and work on access to medicines campaigns with the organization.
• Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and MalariacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth GAP serves on the Developed Country NGO delegation to the Board of the Global Fund. They advocate to hold the Global Fund accountable and watchdog funding from the U.S. for the world's largest HIV programs.
• Save PEPFAR CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth GAP is part of the Save PEPFAR Coalition, which has challenged high ranking Trump administration officials and members of Congress since February 2025, demanding an end to attacks on PEPFAR and global health programs.
• Housing WorksmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth GAP works with Housing Works on direct action campaigns including protests at the State Department. Housing Works CEO Charles King has spoken out against PEPFAR cuts alongside Health GAP.
• Treatment Action Group (TAG)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth GAP partners with Treatment Action Group on activism demanding restoration of PEPFAR funding and policy advocacy.
• ACT UPmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth GAP collaborates with ACT UP on direct action protests and campaigns to demand PEPFAR restoration.
• PEPFAR WatchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth GAP leads PEPFAR Watch, a coalition that monitors PEPFAR programs and advocates for civil society engagement in PEPFAR country planning processes. They publish the Rough Guide to Influencing and Monitoring PEPFAR Country Programs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• amfAR (Foundation for AIDS Research): One of the world's leading HIV/AIDS advocacy and research organizations. A direct peer — Health GAP explicitly coordinates with amfAR on the Durban Declaration and broader access-to-medicines advocacy targeting pharmaceutical corporations and government policies.
• Treatment Action Campaign (TAC): South Africa-based HIV/AIDS treatment access advocacy organization. Direct peer — Health GAP's Director of International Policy Lotti Rutter and others previously worked at TAC, and Health GAP runs joint campaigns like Fix the Patent Laws in South Africa.
• AVAC (Global Advocacy for HIV Prevention): HIV prevention advocacy organization. Direct peer — Maureen Milanga was an AVAC 2013 fellow at Health GAP, and AVAC is a co-signatory of the Durban Declaration and partner coalition member on PEPFAR and global AIDS funding advocacy.
• Treatment Action Group (TAG): HIV/AIDS, HCV, and TB research and policy advocacy organization. Direct peer — Health GAP explicitly partners with TAG on PEPFAR restoration campaigns and access-to-medicines activism.
• ACT UP: Historic AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power — direct-action HIV/AIDS activism organization. Direct peer — Health GAP collaborates with ACT UP on direct-action protests including civil disobedience demanding PEPFAR restoration.
• Housing Works: NYC-based HIV/AIDS services and advocacy nonprofit. Direct peer — Health GAP has run joint State Department protests with Housing Works, whose CEO Charles King publicly aligns on PEPFAR cuts alongside Health GAP leadership.

Broad incumbents

• AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF): Global HIV/AIDS healthcare and advocacy provider — the largest AIDS organization operating in 45+ countries. Broad incumbent — overlaps with Health GAP on global funding advocacy and direct-action tactics but is primarily a service delivery organization at far larger scale.
• Public Citizen: Consumer advocacy nonprofit with health and trade policy programs. Broad incumbent — Health GAP's Associate Director Alyson Bancroft previously ran Public Citizen's Access to Medicines Program, and both groups work on trade/IP/access-to-medicines campaigns.
• Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Access Campaign: Access-to-medicines advocacy arm of MSF. Broad incumbent — operates at much larger scale, but shares overlapping mission focus on pharmaceutical IP reform, affordability, and treatment access campaigns where Health GAP's Brook Baker has collaborated extensively.

Others

• Health GAP-style coalitions — Stop AIDS Coalition (UK): UK sister organization where Lotti Rutter previously worked on global HIV/AIDS and access-to-medicines campaigns. Allied ecosystem partner with closely aligned advocacy tactics and similar institutionally independent positioning; useful as a comparable for coalition-based advocacy scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HealthGAP

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Health GAP