Poverello Center receives $400,000 Gilead Foundation grant for HIV prevention and care

“Communities are not beneficiaries, they are co creators, advisors and accountability actors,” said Carol Nawina Nyirenda, Board Member representing the Communities Delegation to Unitaid. “SCALE-IT pairs innovation with dignity, accountability and country ownership. It was designed with community engagement embedded, not added later.” Through close collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the University Teaching Hospital, the project demonstrates how co-creating with countries strengthens adoption, supports scale up and lays the foundation for long term sustainability. By embedding innovation within national systems and working alongside governments, communities and partners, SCALE-IT is testing how locally-led, community-centered models can accelerate equitable access to long acting HIV prevention like lenacapavir, while building stronger, more resilient health systems. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/eCuuvr_A

On air Lounge Network – The Big Topic Morning Show 🎙️ Today, I had the privilege of speaking on The Big Topic on Lounge FM with Chinyere Ugwoechendu, where we discussed HIV, stigma, and the persistent misconceptions that continue to undermine prevention and care efforts. It was an insightful and honest conversation. I was joined on the call by Kanayochukwu Okeke, our Program Lead Centre for Population Health Initiatives, and together we emphasized a critical message: 👉🏾 HIV is preventable. 👉🏾 Stigma remains one of our biggest barriers. 👉🏾 Access to prevention tools must be practical, visible, and normalized. As the discussion evolved toward prevention strategies, we introduced an innovative approach we’re implementing — the Condom & Lubricant Vending Machine. Increasing discreet, convenient access to prevention tools is one practical way to bridge gaps, especially for young people and underserved communities. Prevention should not be hidden. It should be accessible. Testing should not be feared. It should be normalized. And conversations about HIV should not be whispered — they should be amplified. Grateful for platforms that keep these conversations alive. #HIVAwareness #EndTheStigma #Prevention #PublicHealth #CPHI #HealthAccess

HIV still affects millions of people worldwide, yet stigma, fear and shame continue to prevent many from getting tested or starting treatment early. As Christine Nakalembe, a community champion with the THRIVE project, explains, overcoming stigma requires effort at every step, from encouraging people to seek care to ensuring they feel welcomed and accepted at health facilities. Community health workers are at the heart of change. Through the Unitaid funded THRIVE project, led by the Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. in partnership with Afrocab Treatment Access Partnership and Penta, we are strengthening community led approaches to reach people earlier, prevent advanced HIV disease and reduce avoidable deaths. By building trust and bringing services closer to communities, THRIVE is helping ensure no one is left behind. Watch to learn more! 👇

HIV still affects millions of people worldwide, yet stigma, fear and shame continue to prevent many from getting tested or starting treatment early. As Christine Nakalembe, a community champion with the THRIVE project, explains, overcoming stigma requires effort at every step, from encouraging people to seek care to ensuring they feel welcomed and accepted at health facilities. Community health workers are at the heart of change. Through the Unitaid funded THRIVE project, led by the Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. in partnership with Afrocab Treatment Access Partnership and Penta, we are strengthening community led approaches to reach people earlier, prevent advanced HIV disease and reduce avoidable deaths. By building trust and bringing services closer to communities, THRIVE is helping ensure no one is left behind. Watch to learn more! 👇

NMAC invites you to the upcoming 2026 Summit being held in Chicago.  Now in its 10th year, the 2026 Summit is expanding its focus by addressing HIV from a syndemic, whole-person perspective and intentionally integrating the broader clinical and public health workforce. As we celebrate a decade of progress, we are also reimagining what’s possible—embracing a whole-person approach to prevention because HIV does not exist in isolation, and neither should our solutions. This year’s theme, “The Syndemic Approach—Strengthening the HIV and Public Health Workforce,” centers clinical providers, community leaders, and the broader public health workforce as essential partners in improving health outcomes for communities most impacted by HIV and those experiencing the poorest overall health outcomes.

Not a 340B post… but definitely an item of interest 👀 Minnesota’s HF4442, introduced on March 18, 2026, is one of those bills that makes you stop and think about where healthcare delivery might be headed. The proposal would create a statewide HIV rapid start program, strengthen local rapid start efforts, and remove barriers like prior authorization, cost sharing, and step therapy for antiretroviral therapy and HIV‑prevention services. It also includes state funding to make these changes real. Even though this is not a 340B post, it’s hard not to see the bigger picture. If bills like this start gaining traction across the country, they could significantly reshape how care is delivered. When all payer and administrative obstacles are lifted, you get: ✨ Faster treatment starts ✨ Fewer missed opportunities for linkage to care ✨ Better clinical outcomes ✨ A care model aligned with public health goals instead of administrative hurdles And in HIV care specifically, rapid start isn’t just a nice idea, it’s a proven strategy that improves outcomes and reduces transmission. HF4442 takes that concept and builds a statewide infrastructure around it. 👓 It’ll be interesting to see if other states follow Minnesota’s lead. If they do, we might look back at bills like HF4442 as early indicators of a much larger shift toward barrier‑free access for essential therapies. #HealthcarePolicy #AccessToCare #PublicHealth #RapidStart #HIVPrevention #HealthcareInnovation #PatientAccess #EliminateBarriers #CareDeliveryTransformation

A new approach to HIV prevention could change lives, especially for those too often left out of care. Gilead Sciences has awarded Jerika Lam, Pharm.D., their INCLUSION Award for her research proposal “Evaluating the effectiveness of implementing lenacapavir as PrEP in underserved populations at a Federally Qualified Health Center.” $195,430 was awarded to Lam and her collaborator, Enrique Seoane Vazquez, Ph.D. Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/gTtrCh6s

Health outcomes are shaped by more than medicine. Stable housing is one of the most powerful drivers of long-term health outcomes, especially for people living with HIV. When housing stability is in place, individuals are far more likely to stay engaged in care, maintain treatment, and build healthier lives. That is why programs like Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) matter. They address one of the most important social determinants of health: housing stability. The Georgia Department of Community Affairs is opening the FFY2026 HOPWA application process and will host several in-person workshops to help organizations understand the funding opportunity and submission process. For organizations working in HIV services, housing support, and community health, this funding can help strengthen the systems that keep people connected to care. Workshops will be held in: • Columbus • Macon • Gainesville Applications open April 10, 2026 and are due May 11, 2026. More information: https://lnkd.in/etAS2m-E At Correct Strategies, we help organizations align public health strategy, communication, and community insight to drive real outcomes. Success is in the details. #PublicHealth #HealthEquity #HIVCare #SocialDeterminantsOfHealth #HousingIsHealthcare

New research examined antiretroviral therapy persistence among people with HIV who restarted therapy after a treatment interruption. The study analyzed claims data from HealthVerity Marketplace, demonstrating how real-world data enables researchers to evaluate treatment patterns and persistence across large patient populations. Insights like these help inform future research and treatment decisions. Discover publications using data from HealthVerity Marketplace ➡️ https://hubs.ly/Q046D1C00 Explore RWD in HealthVerity Marketplace 🔍 https://hubs.ly/Q046CM100 Read the full study 📃 https://hubs.ly/Q046CL0D0

An estimated 56 million women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa are affected by Female Genital Schistosomiasis (FGS)—one of the most overlooked sexual and reproductive health conditions linked to neglected tropical diseases. Despite its scale and impact, #FGS sits at the intersection of multiple health priorities—NTDs, sexual and reproductive health, HIV, cervical cancer prevention, and WASH—often falling through the cracks of fragmented health responses. This is why the FGS Integration Group (FIG) exists. FIG is a global coalition bringing together partners across #NTDs, #SRHR, #HIV, #cervicalcancer, and #WASH sectors to advance coordinated action—strengthening awareness, improving diagnosis and treatment, and advocating for the integration of FGS services into health systems that serve women and girls. As a proud member of this coalition, #GANE) remains committed to amplifying awareness, strengthening advocacy, and ensuring the voices and lived experiences of affected communities—particularly women and girls—inform the global response. This message carries even greater significance as we marked #InternationalWomensDay—March 8—as for far too long, the realities of women and girls living with FGS have remained largely invisible within #globalhealth conversations. Centering their experiences, challenges, and perspectives is essential to shaping more equitable health systems and ensuring responses to neglected diseases truly reach those most affected. Together, through partnerships like FIG, we move closer to a future where no disease—and no community—remains neglected 🌍 To learn more about FIG and the work we do: https://bit.ly/FIG-schisto #BeatFGS #IWD2026 #BeatNTDs #EndTheNeglect #WomenInGlobalHealth #HealthEquity Unlimit Health | Global Schistosomiasis Alliance | Bridges to Development | Coalition for Operational Research on Neglected Tropical Diseases | Sightsavers | NALA-NTD Advocacy, Learning, Action | Pakachere IHDC | One Health Society-Tanzania | Effect Hope | Speak Up Africa | LVCT HEALTH | Frontline AIDS | Canadian Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases / Réseau Canadien pour les MTNs | The Federation Humana People to People | Women4GlobalFund (W4GF).