New initiative seeks to help stem the HIV epidemic in the U.S. by improving access to care

(ARA) - For many, discussion of the HIV epidemic in this day and age conjures up images of the developing world, where even the most basic amenities can be scarce. Although HIV in developing countries is a serious issue deserving global attention and significant resources, what is less recognized is that the epidemic continues to grow here in the United States. Today, there are an estimated 640,000 people in the United States with HIV who are either undiagnosed, not in medical care or not receiving HIV treatment. Specific populations such as African Americans and women are still hit hard by the HIV/AIDS epidemic and face various barriers that prevent them from seeking or receiving the care they need.

According to a national survey commissioned by Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY), personal and societal barriers including stigma, fear, denial and shame can prevent people living with HIV from seeking out treatment. Understanding these barriers and how they are different across communities throughout the country, may provide the key to increasing the number of people receiving the care they need. To help meet some of these challenges, a comprehensive U.S. initiative called Positive Charge was launched last year by Bristol-Myers Squibb. Positive Charge is designed to help break down the barriers that prevent people from receiving HIV care, treatment and necessary support.

As one component of Positive Charge, Bristol-Myers Squibb entered into a collaboration with the National AIDS Fund to help address these barriers at the community level. The collaboration is the result of a shared understanding of the importance of empowering local expertise and supporting community-driven innovation to address specific local needs.

Through a separate Positive Charge grant from Bristol-Myers Squibb, the National AIDS Fund independently awarded five major grants that will help enable more than 35 community-based organizations to help improve access to care for people living with HIV/AIDS in five geographically diverse communities that span the major epicenters of the HIV epidemic as well as emerging areas of significant impact - Chicago, Ill., New York, N.Y., Oakland / San Francisco, Calif., and the states of North Carolina and Louisiana. The grant awards provide an opportunity for diverse organizations within these regions to combine their expertise and develop strategic, community-driven solutions to help enable greater access to HIV/AIDS care and treatment.

"Our grantee communities have always had the unique insights as to which barriers to care are most significant in their communities, but have often lacked the funds and resources to implement tailored programs," said National AIDS Fund president and CEO Kandy Ferree.

"The Positive Charge grant has given community agencies from Oakland and San Francisco an opportunity to join together - for the first time ever - to form the Bay Area Network for Positive Health," said Cynthia A. Gomez, PhD, director of the Health Equity Institute at San Francisco State University, the lead coordinating organization implementing programs with grant funds. "We now have the opportunity to bring together a complement of strengths between organizations in two geographic areas that historically have been affected by HIV in very different ways. We believe combining our strengths will help us all to not only link our target populations to essential HIV care, but to better understand why they weren't in care to begin with."

Positive Charge is intended to be a multi-year initiative running for at least three years. In addition to the collaboration with the National AIDS Fund, Bristol-Myers Squibb's Positive Charge initiative is focused on contributing to the scientific, advocacy and policy efforts to most effectively help advance the care, treatment and support of people living with HIV in the United States.

To learn more about Positive Charge, please visit PositiveCharge.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent