We are pleased to bring you the September edition of the Action Report. This month, we highlight recent member actions, recap Coalition events, and profile Walgreens in our latest Leading By Example spotlight.  

Actions From Members

• Welcome new members: Entrée Health, KPMG
  

• Grindr CEO George Arison was in DC this week for meetings on Capitol Hill and with Administration and civil society leaders on the company's global health and human rights priorities for the LGBTQ+ community, including PEPFAR reauthorization and international expansion of free at-home HIV testing.

• On September 18, Paramount Pictures recognized National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day. Because of major advancements in HIV treatment, the 50-and-older group is the fastest-growing population with HIV. To honor the day, Paramount Pictures hosted a bake sale to benefit AIDS Walk LA and APLA Health.

• Asof the Atlanta Chapter, MISTR partnered with the Atlanta Kiki Scene Leaders Fellowship program, producing cobranded materials featuring local community members to introduce the Atlanta Kiki community to MISTR’s PrEP, Doxy PEP, and treatment services.

MISTR also sponsored their Healthy Sex Campaign during Global Black Pride and future tabling at events throughout the year. This collaboration brought health resources directly to young people in Atlanta while helping the Atlanta Kiki Scene Leaders Fellowship in their mission to destigmatize sexual health conversations and promote greater awareness and prevention efforts.

Actions From the Coalition

• Mario was invited to speak on a panel during the Global Black Pride Health and Human Rights Conference on August 27 in Atlanta. The panel focused on HIV stigma and criminalization of Black bodies. Mario was able to share how our Coalition companies are leveraging the trust between employers to employees to destigmatize and demystify HIV, as well as discuss how members are advocating for policies that protect people with HIV and promote access to HIV services. The conference welcomed attendees from more than 20 countries around the world.

• On September 10, Atlanta companies and HIV organizations came together for the Q3 Atlanta Chapter meeting hosted by the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.

At the meeting members heard about some of the exciting collaborations happening in Atlanta, including between Walmart and MISTR, B Brand and the CDC. The group identified specific challenges to addressing HIV in Atlanta, including HIV education, access to services and transportation, policy advocacy, and job readiness for communities disproportionately impacted. Members will be strategizing on ways the private sector can lean in to help address these challenges throughout the coming year.

• We were delighted to be in New Orleans last week for the U.S. Conference on HIV/AIDS. We hosted our second annual conference breakfast, which brought together member companies, HIV Leadership Advisory Council members, federal and public health leaders, and friends to connect, highlight the impact of public-private partnerships, and inspire further momentum for this work. Save the date for next year!

Coalition in the News

• The CDC HIV Division called out the Coalition on Facebook and X, highlighting the private sector's ability to accelerate progress in ending HIV.

Opportunities for Action

Two awareness days are coming up in the next month, which are great opportunities to raise visibility about the disproportionate impact of HIV in certain communities and the need for collective action.

September 27: National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

• Encourage open communication about HIV prevention and care by sharing information on social media or through your internal communication channels. Check out Let’s Stop HIV Together Campaign resources and the awareness day digital toolkit for content.

October 15: National Latinx HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

• Raise awareness about HIV this NLAAD and encourage HIV testing, prevention, and treatment among Hispanic/Latino people. While Latinos make up approximately 19% of the U.S. population, they accounted for nearly one-third of all new HIV diagnoses in 2022.

Latino gay men now represent the highest number of new HIV cases in the country. You can start by sharing resources from Let's Stop HIV Together for Hispanic/Latino people in English and Spanish.

HIV in the News

• Building Pharmacy Linkages to HIV Prevention and Care: An Interview with Courage Forward Strategies’ Sara Zeigler and Aliyah Ali, Safer from Harm Coalition (Aug 27)
  

• Gilead’s Twice-Yearly Lenacapavir for HIV Prevention Reduced HIV Infections by 96% and Demonstrated Superiority to Daily Truvada® in Second Pivotal Phase 3 Trial, Gilead Sciences News Release (Sept 12)
  

• Assessment of PrEP and PEP furnishing in San Francisco Bay Area pharmacies: An observational cross-sectional study, Journal of the American Pharmacists Association (Nov-Dec, 2024)

Leading by Example

“Leading by Example” is a series from U.S. Business Action to End HIV highlighting inspiring business leaders who are accelerating progress toward an end to the HIV epidemic in the U.S.

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Brad McElya
Director of Clinical Pharmacy Strategy
‍Walgreens

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Why do you believe it's essential for businesses to play a role in our nation's efforts to end the HIV epidemic?

People living with HIV can live long and healthy lives—if they’re connected to care and take their medications as prescribed. These treatments can also greatly reduce HIV transmission to those who are HIV-negative. In addition, there is considerable effort needed to raise awareness of the need for HIV testing and medications used to prevent the acquisition of HIV (PrEP or Pre-exposure prophylaxis).

At Walgreens, we have historically tried to ease the burden of healthcare costs through proactive care, working closely with payors, prescribers, and other partners to lower overall costs and to raise the awareness of the needs within the communities we serve. We have also provided services that reduce financial burden, such as identifying lower-cost medication alternatives and connections to financial assistance programs.

Additionally, the U.S. Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative is working to reduce new HIV transmissions by 75 percent by 2025 and by 90 percent by 2030. Having other businesses act and play a role in our nation’s efforts will help meet these goals and end the HIV epidemic.

Why is it important for Walgreens to be part of the U.S. Business Action to End HIV coalition?

Walgreens has supported people living with HIV and AIDS since the beginning of the epidemic more than 40 years ago. In 1997, Walgreens opened a first-of-its-kind HIV specialty pharmacy. Today, Walgreens has more than 300 specialty pharmacies across the country and many of them offer specialized services for HIV and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medications.

Further, Walgreens has supported those impacted by HIV/AIDS with a variety of national and local initiatives. Most recently, Walgreens became a founding member of the U.S. Business Action to End HIV.

This has been an important step for us because it helps further collaboration in this fight to end the HIV epidemic.  We have been encouraged and able to roll out additional critical services through collaboration because of the relationships established in the coalition.

What advice would you give to other corporate leaders considering taking action on HIV?

Get involved! Start with what you do as a company and think strategically about how you may use your strengths in the fight to end the HIV epidemic. Raise awareness and ask questions as a way of shining the spotlight on the need to advance the National HIV Strategy.

Read Brad's full profile here

Coming Up

• September 25: Houston Business Action to End HIV Inaugural Convening (Houston) - Register
  

• October 7-10: Out & Equal 2024 Workplace Summit (Orlando) - Mario will lead a session on October 8 with HRC, Accenture, and Chevron. Let us know if you will be there!
  

• October 16: World AIDS Day Workshop for Employers - Register
  

• November 21: Annual Coalition Meeting (Atlanta) - Save the date!

Thank you for your commitment and leadership. Let's keep up the momentum!

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