– Gilead Will Provide up to $5 Million in
Global Grant Funding to Immediately Support Public Education and
Vaccine Hesitancy Communications, a Public Policy Response and a
Global Outbreak Emergency Fund for Community Organizations in
Regions with Active Monkeypox Outbreaks –
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD), GLAAD, the Human Rights
Campaign (HRC), the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), the
National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and NMAC today announced
immediate action in response to the emerging monkeypox virus (MPV)
outbreak, which is disproportionately impacting the LGBTQ+
community, particularly men who have sex with men (MSM), as well as
those who are living with HIV. Gilead will provide up to $5 million
in global grant funding to help support three areas of focus: a
public education and vaccine hesitancy communications campaign, a
public policy response and a global outbreak emergency fund.
The MPV outbreak was declared a public health emergency by the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on August 4. A recent
study in the New England Journal of Medicine looked at 528 MPV
infections diagnosed between April 27 and June 24, at 43 sites in
16 countries. Of that group, 98% of the cases were among gay or
bisexual men and 41% were living with HIV.
“Throughout our history, Gilead has worked to address critical
public health challenges and healthcare disparities, particularly
those faced by the LGBTQ+ community or impacted by the HIV
epidemic,” said Deborah Telman, Executive Vice President, Corporate
Affairs and General Counsel, Gilead Sciences. “Today we are proud
to work with our longtime collaborators around the world to help
meet the immediate needs of impacted communities and to help
identify longer term solutions to this emerging crisis. At Gilead,
we are also accelerating and expanding our early-stage antiviral
drug screening program to identify new molecules for potential
future treatment of MPV infection.”
Funding will help support three key areas of response.
Gilead’s Global Monkeypox Outbreak Emergency Fund will provide
grants of up to $50,000 to existing grantee organizations working
in regions with active MPV outbreaks to respond to this growing
emergency. Funds may be used to cover expenses such as community
mobilization activities specifically addressing MPV outbreak in
communities disproportionately impacted by HIV, operating costs
related to HIV testing and service interruptions and essential
safety materials.
GLAAD, HRC, NBJC and NCLR will help continue to ensure that
critical information about MPV reaches impacted communities. This
comprehensive communications campaign will help LGBTQ+ people and
people living with HIV receive accurate, accessible and targeted
information so they are able to make informed decisions about how
to prevent and treat MPV. Public education efforts from the
national coalition will include creation of videos, graphics and
other information resources focused on vaccines, prevention and
treatment to be distributed to media, community centers and
organizations, as well as organizers and managers of LGBTQ+ events
and venues.
“As we saw with HIV, COVID-19, and now MPV, disinformation
continues to challenge the LGBTQ+ community,” said Sarah Kate
Ellis, President and CEO, GLAAD. “This new collaboration will
enable creating and distributing content and resources to help our
community know the facts and to understand prevention and treatment
for MPV. When communities receive accurate, timely information,
they are empowered to take appropriate action, leading to
long-lasting, positive health outcomes.”
“As MPV continues to impact our communities, we’re witnessing a
concerning amount of misinformation and confusion,” said Joni
Madison, Interim President, HRC. “That misinformation is especially
harmful to BIPOC communities who historically are sidelined when it
comes to equitable access to care and treatment. Over the past
several weeks, we’ve also seen the LGBTQ+ community doing what
we’ve always had to do: caring and advocating for each other. In
the same vein, we look forward to working together with Gilead and
other partner organizations to combat the stigma that prevents
people from seeking the care they need.”
“The National Black Justice Coalition is excited to be a part of
this coordinated effort to prevent the spread of MPV across the
U.S., especially among the Black LGBTQ+/SGL community and people
living with HIV/AIDS,” said David J. Johns, Ph.D., Executive
Director, National Black Justice Coalition. “We have engaged with
key decision-makers since the outbreak emerged to ensure our
community is included, in non-stigmatizing ways, in public health
campaigns, is educated about the dangers of this virus, and is
connected to care. Responses must be democratized so information,
testing and treatment resources reach people who have the greatest
need and the fewest resources.”
“There has been a lack of accurate information about MPV and
that has, and will continue to negatively and disproportionately
hurt the health and well-being of the LGBTQ+ community, communities
of color and people at the intersections of these underrepresented
identities,” said Imani Rupert-Gordon, Executive Director, NCLR.
“We are seeing the number of MPV cases across the country increase
and our community expects and deserves access to education and
resources to help combat the virus, and feel safe in their
communities.”
NMAC will act as the policy response organizing center to help
address policy issues related to HIV and MPV. Funding from Gilead
will help NMAC inform public policy to drive a more comprehensive,
swift and coordinated community response.
“NMAC is grateful to Gilead for their leadership on this
critical issue,” said Paul Kawata, Executive Director, NMAC.
“Through our extensive contacts at the federal level and with the
support of our community partners, we will work with both the White
House and Congress to provide the necessary resources to deal with
this outbreak. Our top priorities will include making sure that
vaccine access is equitable for all communities at risk and that
any outreach plans will include ways to deal with vaccine hesitancy
in a culturally competent way.”
Collaboration is crucial to support the sustainability of
community partners and these groups will work together to monitor
the evolving MPV landscape to impact response.
About Gilead Sciences
Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that has
pursued and achieved breakthroughs in medicine for more than three
decades, with the goal of creating a healthier world for all
people. The company is committed to advancing innovative medicines
to prevent and treat life-threatening diseases, including HIV,
viral hepatitis, cancer and inflammation. Gilead operates in more
than 35 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Foster City,
California.
Gilead has promoted equity, particularly healthcare equity,
since the company brought its first therapies to the market.
Through global partnerships, Gilead’s medicines today reach
millions of people in low- and middle-income countries around the
world.
For more than 30 years, Gilead has been a leading innovator in
the field of HIV, driving advances in treatment, prevention and
cure research. Today, millions of people living with HIV globally
receive antiretroviral therapy provided by Gilead or one of the
company’s manufacturing partners.
About GLAAD
GLAAD rewrites the script for LGBTQ+ acceptance. As a dynamic
media force, GLAAD tackles tough issues to shape the narrative and
provoke dialogue that leads to cultural change. GLAAD protects all
that has been accomplished and creates a world where everyone can
live the life they love.
About the Human Rights
Campaign
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of
the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), America's largest civil rights
organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people. Through its
programs, the HRC Foundation seeks to make transformational change
in the everyday lives of LGBTQ+ people, shedding light on inequity
and deepening the public’s understanding of LGBTQ+ issues, with a
clear focus on advancing transgender and racial justice. Its work
has transformed the landscape for more than 15 million workers, 11
million students, 1 million clients in the adoption and foster care
system and so much more. The HRC Foundation provides direct
consultation and technical assistance to institutions and
communities, driving the advancement of inclusive policies and
practices; it builds the capacity of future leaders and allies
through fellowship and training programs; and, with the firm belief
that we are stronger working together, it forges partnerships with
advocates in the U.S. and around the globe to increase our impact
and shape the future of our work.
About National Black Justice
Coalition
The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) is America's leading
civil rights organization dedicated to the empowerment of Black
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer+, and same gender loving
(LGBTQ+/SGL) people, including people living with HIV.
About National Center for Lesbian
Rights
For 45 years NCLR has worked to achieve and advance LGBTQ equity
through litigation, legislation, advocacy and public education.
NCLR has held a unique space in the LGBTQ civil rights arena as an
organization founded by lesbians and fighting for justice for all
LGBTQ people – bringing a fierce, longstanding commitment to
racial, economic and gender justice for the most underrepresented
people in our communities. The first LGBTQ civil rights
organization to create programs specifically for youth, elders and
immigrants seeking asylum, NCLR is also the first organization of
its kind to create a transgender youth program, a focused
reproductive justice initiative, a campaign (BornPerfect.org) to
combat conversion therapy and NCLR is the co-founder of the
National LGBTQ Anti-Poverty Network.
About NMAC
NMAC leads with race to urgently fight for health equity and
racial justice to end the HIV epidemic in America. Since 1987, NMAC
has advanced our mission through a variety of programs and
services, including: a public policy education program, national
and regional training conferences, a treatment and research
program, numerous electronic and print materials, and a website:
www.nmac.org. NMAC also serves as an association of AIDS service
organizations, providing valuable information to community-based
organizations, hospitals, clinics, and other groups assisting
individuals and families affected by the HIV epidemic.
Gilead and the Gilead logo are trademarks of
Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies.
For more information about Gilead, please visit
the company’s website at www.gilead.com, follow Gilead on Twitter
(@GileadSciences) or call Gilead Public Affairs at 1-800-GILEAD-5
or 1-650-574-3000.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220808005895/en/
Media Contacts:
Jacquie Ross, Investors, Gilead
investor_relations@gilead.com
Hayley Home, Media, Gilead Hayley.home@gilead.com
Barbara Simon, GLAAD bsimon@glaad.org
Jared Todd, HRC Jared.todd@hrc.org
Christopher Vasquez, NCLR cvasquez@nclrights.org
Victoria Kirby York, NBJC vkirbyyork@nbjc.org
Chip Lewis, NMAC clewis@nmac.org
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