June 27th 2023.
Across the globe, Black people face disproportionate levels of HIV infection. The United States is no exception, with Black people in the US making up 14% of the population in 2020, but representing 42% of new HIV diagnoses and 40% of all people living with HIV.
Gilead Sciences has been working to end HIV-related stigma and the epidemic for more than 35 years. Senior Director of Global HIV Medical Affairs David Malebranche and Executive HIV Community Liaison Danielle Houston spoke to BLACK ENTERPRISE about their work in Black communities and the South to improve the lives of those living with HIV.
Malebranche, a board-certified internal medicine physician specializing in sexual health and HIV, is focused on advancing Gilead’s HIV therapies and finding solutions to help overcome systemic barriers that limit access to life-changing medicines.
“I’m extremely proud of how Gilead intentionally establishes itself within the HIV treatment and health equity landscapes,” Malebranche said. “Back in 1999, two medications in one pill revolutionized HIV treatment, and in 2006 Gilead created the first once-daily, single-tablet regimen. Now, people living with HIV have life expectancies that are very comparable to those who are not infected. But for that to be possible, these medicines must be available to those who need it most.”
Houston is committed to securing strategic partnerships with organizations and institutions committed to ending the HIV epidemic. As an alumnus of the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and a Texas native, she has seen first-hand the devastation of the HIV epidemic across the Southern US.
“Gilead’s COMPASS Initiative is a ten-year, $100 million commitment to address systemic challenges that contribute to the HIV epidemic in the region,” Houston said. “It leans into the power of community collaboration and local leadership to help address health inequities.”
The Southern states account for 52% of all new HIV cases annually, despite only making up 38% of the US population. Racial disparities also persist there, with Black Southerners representing half of all new HIV diagnoses in the region, even though they make up only 19% of the Southern population. Gilead’s work in the region is helping to change this.
Gilead Sciences is dedicated to helping end the HIV epidemic and the stigma that comes with it. By empowering their workforce of community liaisons and leveraging the personal knowledge and connections of them, Gilead is helping to bring life-changing medicines to those who need it most, and create a future of health equity for Black communities.
Across the globe, Black people face disproportionate challenges when it comes to HIV. In the United States, this is no exception -- Black people make up only 14% of the population, yet 42% of new HIV diagnoses and 40% of those living with HIV are Black. For more than 35 years, Gilead has been fighting alongside Black communities to end the HIV epidemic and its associated stigma.
Gilead Sciences Senior Director of Global HIV Medical Affairs David Malebranche and Executive HIV Community Liaison Danielle Houston both spoke with BLACK ENTERPRISE about how Gilead’s HIV work in Black communities and the South is helping to change the lives of those living with HIV.
Malebranche is a board-certified internal medicine physician specializing in sexual health and HIV, and his career has focused on both patient care and treatment access. In his role at Gilead, he is dedicated to advancing HIV therapies and finding solutions to reduce access barriers. He said, “I’m extremely proud of how Gilead intentionally establishes itself within the HIV treatment and health equity landscapes. If we look back to 1999 and into the early 2000s, things started to ramp up in scientific innovation and combination therapy with two medications in one pill. In 2006, Gilead created the first once-daily, single-tablet regimen that ushered in a new era of what’s possible in reducing the risk of infection and maintaining effective viral suppression in individuals infected with HIV.”
Houston is an alumnus of the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and a Texas native, and has seen first-hand the devastation of the HIV epidemic across the Southern U.S. She noted Gilead’s commitment to its workforce of community liaisons, and said, “Gilead empowers my team to use its innovative scientific community resources across local territories where our HIV community liaisons live, work, play, and pray. This allows us to leverage the personal knowledge and connections of our liaisons who know the names of those we are helping and can help facilitate resources that meet their specific needs.”
Gilead’s COMPASS Initiative® is a ten-year, $100 million commitment to address systemic challenges that contribute to the HIV epidemic in the region. It emphasizes the power of community collaboration and local leadership to help address health inequities. Today, people with an HIV diagnosis can have life expectancies that are very comparable to individuals who are not HIV-positive. Despite this, the potential of medicines can’t be reached unless they are available to people and communities that need them most. Gilead’s work in the HIV space is helping to change this, and is creating a better future for Black people living with HIV.
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