Marta Llano

A Colombian social entrepreneur who transformed HIV/AIDS care through community-driven initiatives in Latin America.

Marta Llano is a visionary Colombian activist who redefined HIV/AIDS care in the 1990s. Founding Fundación Vida in 1990, she created the first patient-led support network for people living with HIV in Latin America. Her programs combined medical care with psychological support, reducing mortality rates by 40% in Colombia within five years. Llano pioneered the use of community health workers to combat stigma, training over 10,000 volunteers across 12 countries. Her 1997 report "Breaking the Silence: HIV/AIDS in Rural Andes" influenced UN policies on marginalized populations. In 2000, she launched the first mobile testing units in the Amazon region, reaching 200,000 people annually. Learn more via Fundación Vida's website or view her documentary "Vidas Entrelazadas" on Documentary.org.