Who we are
A Rwandan non‑governmental organization strengthening public health in Rwanda
Alliance for Healthy Communities (AHC) is a Rwandan non-governmental organization working to strengthen public health and health systems across Rwanda.
We work with communities and populations that face barriers to access quality health services, including people living with HIV, key and priority populations, pregnant women, people in detention, and military personnel and their families. Through strong partnerships, community-led action, and locally driven solutions, we help expand access to quality care and build healthier communities.
What we do
Four programs. One commitment to quality, evidence‑based care.
From HIV prevention and treatment to laboratory accreditation support, AHC strengthens the systems, skills, and quality practices that make reliable health services possible.
Rusizi District
A sports day that ended with the testing and screening tents busier than the touchline.
From the field
Bringing HIV and TB services to where communities gather
A football match in Rusizi became an opportunity to reach key populations with essential HIV and TB services.
For many people, including female sex workers and men who have sex with men, accessing health services can involve concerns about stigma, discrimination, confidentiality, or being recognized. Reaching these communities therefore requires more than simply making services available; it requires bringing care into trusted, familiar settings.
In collaboration with Rusizi District, and with support from the Global Fund through the Rwanda Biomedical Centre, AHC organized an HIV and TB awareness outreach campaign around a community sporting event. Activities took place throughout the afternoon, culminating in a friendly football match that brought community members together.
HIV testing and TB screening were provided alongside the event, at the same location and time, making access to services a natural part of the day rather than a separate or stigmatizing experience. District leadership and the Rwanda National Police also participated, reinforcing the importance of collaboration and community engagement.
Next in the field
See where AHC is working next
Every outreach activity starts with a locally identified need and a partnership to address it. Explore upcoming campaigns by district, including the services being offered, dates, times, and venues. Partners, district teams, community organizations, and prospective volunteers are welcome to learn more and get involved.
Our partners
The partnerships that make this work possible.
Our work is grounded in partnership. AHC collaborates with the Government of Rwanda and its health institutions to align implementation with national priorities and strengthen existing systems. Support from the United States Government’s global HIV programs and the Global Fund enables us to extend evidence-based HIV services and reach communities facing barriers to care.
Who we are
Alliance for Healthy Communities (AHC) is a Rwandan non‑governmental organization working to strengthen public health and health systems across Rwanda.
Established on 6 June 2016, AHC began implementing programs in October 2017.
AHC is Rwandan in its registration, staffing, and leadership. We work within Rwanda’s national health system, not alongside it, through the Ministry of Health and the Rwanda Biomedical Centre, district authorities, health centres, and district hospitals.
Our work addresses both communicable and non-communicable diseases. It includes HIV prevention, treatment, and care; tuberculosis; maternal, child, adolescent, and reproductive health; gender-based violence; and mental health. We also strengthen the systems that make quality care possible, including training and mentoring health workers, supporting facility laboratories through accreditation, and conducting the monitoring and evaluation required to measure results and guide responsible decision-making.
AHC exists because the availability of a service does not always mean that people can access it. For some communities, the nearest health facility may be a long and costly journey away. For others, stigma, discrimination, or concerns about disclosure can make seeking care difficult. Our purpose is to close that last-mile gap while leaving the health facilities and systems we work with stronger than before.
We work with populations facing significant barriers to quality care, including people living with HIV, key and priority populations, pregnant women and HIV-exposed infants, adolescents in and out of school, people in detention, and military personnel and their families. Peer educators are recruited from the communities they serve, helping AHC build trust, improve engagement with health services, and make care more responsive to local realities.
Today, AHC delivers four programs across Rwanda, with HIV prevention activities reaching all 30 districts. Building on this foundation, we continue to strengthen local capacity, improve the quality of care, and extend essential services to communities facing the greatest barriers to access.
Our vision
Healthier lives, a better world.
Our mission
To advance health equity and welfare by preventing disease, supporting mental well-being, and building sustainable health systems.
Our motto
How the work grew
Four programs developed in response to the needs of communities and Rwanda’s health system.
AHC’s programs reflect a deliberate process of learning and adaptation. Each was developed to address a defined gap in health services, strengthen local capacity, or improve the systems that support quality care. Their progression shows how AHC has grown from a focused HIV response into a broader health-system partner.
6 June 2016
Established
AHC is registered as a Rwandan non-governmental organization, created to strengthen Rwanda’s health system and extend quality care to communities facing the greatest barriers to access.
Organization established
October 2017
Implementation begins
AHC begins implementation with three complementary programs that connect outreach, HIV treatment, and TB screening. Rather than operating as parallel activities, the programs are designed as an integrated pathway, delivered through district authorities and existing health facilities from the outset.
2018
The enabling programs
A year of delivery made the next set of priorities clear. Health facilities needed skills and systems that would remain in place beyond AHC’s direct support. Laboratories needed the quality systems and accreditation support required to produce reliable results. And AHC needed strong monitoring, evaluation, and learning processes to verify results, improve implementation, and report responsibly.
2019 onward
Laboratory accreditation, adolescent sexual and reproductive health, and gender‑based violence
As AHC’s clinical work expanded, the systems supporting quality care had to grow with it. Laboratory accreditation became a program in its own right, helping facilities produce reliable results that clinicians and patients can trust. AHC also developed dedicated work in adolescent sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence, recognizing that adolescents need confidential, age-responsive services, while survivors need safe, confidential, and survivor-centered care.
Leadership and governance
Experienced leadership. Clear accountability.
AHC is led by experienced professionals and overseen by a five-member Board of Directors. The Board provides strategic oversight and governance, while the management team is responsible for the organization’s day-to-day operations, program delivery, and performance. Together, these structures support responsible decision-making, effective implementation, and accountability to partners, donors, and the communities AHC serves.
Board of Directors
Five members providing strategic oversight, governance, and accountability. Board profiles are published as they are confirmed.
Executive leadership
Responsible for the strategic and operational leadership of AHC’s programs, partnerships, and organizational growth. Leadership profiles are published as they are confirmed.
Accountability
AHC maintains a dedicated monitoring, evaluation, and learning function to verify results, assess data quality, and ensure that public claims are supported by evidence. Findings are reported routinely to government partners and donors and used to strengthen implementation.
Our team
The people accountable for AHC's work
AHC's leadership team is responsible for the organization's programs, clinical quality, partnerships, field operations, finance, and evidence. Together, they provide the expertise and oversight needed to deliver effectively and remain accountable to communities, government partners, and donors.
Program staff, outreach teams and peer educators across the districts make up the wider team behind them.
Board of Directors
Five members providing strategic oversight and accountability
AHC's five-member Board of Directors provides strategic oversight, governance, and accountability for the organization.
Col (Rtd) Dr. Marc Sebaganji
Col (Rtd), Chairman
Ahmed Abajobir
MPH, Treasurer
Dr. Judy T. Orikiiriza
Secretary
Eugene Sangano MBA, MSc
Executive Director
Charles Hilliard, Ph.D.
Technical Advisor