WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today on World AIDS Day, the Health Action Alliance and ViiV Healthcare announce the launch of U.S. Business Action to End HIV, a new coalition of businesses committed to accelerating progress to end HIV in the U.S. by 2030. Ada Health, Avita, BLK, Chispa, CVS Health, Gilead Sciences, Healthvana, National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, OraSure Technologies, The Powell Companies Real, Tinder, Uber, ViiV Healthcare, Walgreens and Walmart are founding member organizations of the coalition.
The coalition launch is part of the White House’s World AIDS Day commemoration. U.S. Business Action to End HIV formed in response to the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, which seeks to mobilize all sectors of society in a united response. By harnessing the influence and expertise of the private sector, the coalition brings new momentum to an effort once thought impossible – to end the HIV epidemic in the U.S. by 2030.
This new coalition, initiated by ViiV Healthcare, is being organized by the Health Action Alliance, the nation's largest private-sector network of employers operating at the intersection of business and public health. The Health Action Alliance network includes more than 5,500 employers, including 225 of the Fortune 1000, who collectively employ more than 25 million U.S. workers.
“Time has proven that the existing federal initiatives alone will not be successful without the support and partnership of private industry and the community,” said Lynn Baxter, Senior Vice President and Head of ViiV Healthcare North America. “Through this coalition, ViiV Healthcare will combine its innovation and expertise as the only company solely focused on HIV with the leadership and energy of the other member companies to create a holistic approach to ending HIV.”
Leaders from the private sector and HIV community have identified opportunities for employers to fill gaps and accelerate progress to help end HIV, particularly through a focus on equitable access to prevention and treatment tools. By joining the coalition, companies commit to at least one of six actions: making HIV a corporate priority and extending a call-to-action to other industry leaders; educating workers and fighting HIV stigma in the workplace; strengthening HIV coverage and non-discrimination policies for employees; advocating for improved HIV policies and system change; leveraging their capabilities to implement innovative strategies in communities most affected by HIV; and providing funding to strengthen the coalition’s public health response.
The Health Action Alliance is supporting corporate partners by providing free communications tools, employer and worker resources, educational events, training and coaching, and technical support for building public-private partnerships in communities most affected by HIV.
“Ending HIV in the U.S. is within our reach — and our moonshot is to harness the private sector’s unique expertise, infrastructure and trusted relationships with employees to dramatically reduce new HIV infections, fight stigma and homophobia, and improve the lives of people with HIV,” said Stephen Massey, Managing Director of the Health Action Alliance and co-founder of Meteorite. “I applaud the founding member companies and partners who’ve joined this new coalition, and I look forward to engaging many more employers across the country who share our vision for health equity and a future without HIV. Together with community leaders and public health partners, we’ll learn from one another and collaborate across sectors to achieve the greatest impact.”
More than 40 years after the start of the HIV epidemic, more than 1.2 million people are living with HIV in the U.S., and there are nearly 35,000 new cases each year.
Despite game-changing developments in HIV prevention and treatment, services are not reaching all who need them equally. Due to stigma, homophobia, discrimination, and other structural factors, Black, Latino and LGBTQ+ communities – particularly in urban areas and across the South – continue to be disproportionately impacted by HIV and face barriers to accessing prevention and treatment services.
By engaging the private sector and focusing on health equity, U.S. Business Action to End HIV intends to strengthen the prevention and treatment infrastructure and build connections to the communities who need it most.
Companies interested in joining the coalition should visit healthaction.org/endhiv or email endHIV@healthaction.org.
About Health Action Alliance
The Health Action Alliance is a joint initiative of the Ad Council, CDC Foundation, de Beaumont Foundation, National Safety Council and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation — in partnership with Meteorite. Our free tools, training and events help employers, large and small, navigate evolving health challenges, improve the health of workers and engage with public health partners to build stronger, healthier communities. Learn more at healthaction.org.
About ViiV Healthcare
ViiV Healthcare is a global specialist HIV company established in November 2009 by GlaxoSmithKline (LSE: GSK) and Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) dedicated to delivering advances in treatment and care for people living with HIV and for people who are at risk of becoming infected with HIV. Shionogi became a ViiV Healthcare shareholder in October 2012. ViiV Healthcare's aim is to take a deeper and broader interest in HIV/AIDS than any company has done before and take a new approach to deliver effective and innovative medicines for HIV treatment and prevention, as well as support communities affected by HIV. For more information on the company, its management, portfolio, pipeline, and commitment, please visit www.viivhealthcare.com.
