U.S. HIV Initiative Underway

In the United States, an ambitious new collective action initiative to scale up HIV education and testing programs, support local HIV efforts, and advocate for sound public health policy is underway.

Recent statistics indicate that U.S. HIV infection rates are nearly 40 percent higher than previously thought, and the HIV epidemic is particularly acute in key communities and regions critical to our national health, economy, and society.

In response, the Coalition has assembled some of America’s leading companies, a powerful action team with expertise in marketing, message and campaign development, program management and more. Working in close partnership with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the White House Office of National AIDS Policy, national HIV/AIDS organizations and local health authorities, the GBC-led consortium has three primary goals:

Scale up national HIV education & testing efforts

• GBC and corporate partners are working closely with the CDC and others in the development of nation-wide HIV public education campaigns – the CDC’s first such campaigns in 20 years. GBC is organizing a series of media & social marketing expert “think tanks” to assist the CDC with market research, message development, channel strategy, campaign development and more, with a particular focus on web & mobile media.

Support local HIV efforts and build health system capacity

• In Washington D.C., three percent of adults already have been diagnosed with HIV, and thousands more are believed positive and don’t know it. The District has the highest prevalence rate per capita in the U.S. In response, the GBC-led corporate action team is working with the D.C. HIV/AIDS Administration to scale up social marketing & routine HIV testing in hospitals & healthcare facilities city-wide.
• New York City has the largest number of HIV & AIDS cases in the country, with more AIDS cases than Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, and Washington D.C. combined. In response, the GBC-led corporate action team is working with the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to scale up social marketing and HIV testing efforts starting in the Bronx and extending later to all five of NYC’s boroughs.
• In Oakland, California, nearly 40 percent of HIV+ residents are diagnosed with AIDS less than 12 months after first testing positive for HIV – a likely result of late testing and under-developed linkages to care and treatment. In partnership with Get Screened Oakland, the GBC-led corporate action team is helping to scale up HIV social marketing and outreach, and to expand routine HIV testing linked to appropriate care and support.

Undertake advocacy efforts to secure passage of sound public policy

• The Coalition is working with the White House Office of National AIDS Policy to gather corporate input in the creation of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, as well as to identify opportunities for business to support and advance the national strategy and other White House AIDS priorities.
• On Capitol Hill, the Coalition is organizing and executing a strategy for GBC members to advocate in support of HIV/AIDS-related legislation. The advocacy program leverages the business community’s voice to advance effective HIV/AIDS policy; this includes articulating business’ support for science-based HIV prevention approaches and HIV prevention funding, for example

The U.S. HIV Initiative is supported by GBC members, including:

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

BACKGROUND

Approximately 50% of new infections occur among Black Americans – despite the fact that the Black population accounts for just 12% of the total US population. AIDS is the leading cause of death for African American women ages 25 to 34. HIV infection rates also remain high for gay and bisexual men, who account for almost 50% of new infections.

And HIV/AIDS disproportionally impacts other people of color, and increasingly impacts women, especially women of color.

» U.S. HIV Initiative kicks off with national campaign and efforts in three hard-hit cities: Washington, D.C., Oakland and New York City.

» GBC partners with Black AIDS Media Partnership's Greater than AIDS campaign

» Read the Washington Post story on Coalition's efforts in the District of Columbia

» Read the Bloomberg News story on the U.S. HIV Initiative

» Read The Huffington Post op-ed on the need for collective action against HIV in the U.S., by John Tedstrom, Dave O'Reilly and John Anderson

» Learn more about the recently-released Washington, D.C. HIV statistics

» Washington Post Editorial Underscores Need/Opportunity for Action

» New York Times: U.S. AIDS epidemic spreading faster than previously thought, even as public concern declines

»Get involved: contact John Newsome, Senior Director of the U.S. HIV Initiative