Source: GBC

GBC, a partner in the Black AIDS Media Partnership's Greater Than AIDS campaign, is engaging the power and reach of top media, marketing, and "brand" companies to engage millions of Black Americans about HIV/AIDS.

Greater Than AIDS leverages the resources and skills of major media, marketing, and "brand" companies to promote HIV testing, encourage healthy decision-making and combat stigma and fears associated with the disease among Black Americans, who are disproportionately affected by the disease, accounting for nearly half of all new HIV infections occurring every year, while representing just 12 percent of the US population.

GBC is supporting Greater than AIDS by recruiting companies to help with the design and implementation of broadcast announcements to reach Black Americans.

» Learn more about Greater than AIDS

» Learn more about the Black AIDS Media Partnership

» Learn more about GBC's U.S. HIV Initiative

GBC's engagement is part of its new U.S. HIV Initiative, a focused effort to fill specific gaps in HIV/AIDS programs that are hampering prevention and testing efforts in the United States. In addition to national education and advocacy components, the Initiative is targeting three cities highly impacted by HIV/AIDS: Washington DC, Oakland, and New York City, all in an effort to encouraging more Americans to make affirming decisions, get tested, and seek appropriate care and treatment. GBC's efforts also will help strengthen local health systems. GBC is working with the Centers for Disease Control, Congressional leaders, national organizations, local governments and grassroots AIDS service organizations to identify key priorities and help address them by strategically mobilizing company skills and resources to fill specific gaps.

The "consortium" consists of major U.S. companies, including:

• Pfizer Inc.
• Levi Strauss & Co.
• Coca-Cola
• BET
• Facebook
• Chevron Corporation
• National Basketball Association (NBA)
• Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
• HBO
• BD
• The Brink's Company
• Colgate-Palmolive Company
• OraSure Technologies

Originally published July 6, 2009