How can we further reduce the rate of new HIV infections?

Challenge

Despite the progress public health campaigns have made in the fight against HIV, efforts have been less successful for some groups, including African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, and men who have sex with men. Compared to Whites, the rate of new infections is higher among African Americans and Hispanics.

Men who have sex with men accounted for 70% of all new infections in 2014. In addition to dealing with the illness, people with HIV still face the added burden of stigma and discrimination. One proven approach to preventing HIV in at-risk communities is through public-private partnerships.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) asked Westat to assist its Division of HIV Prevention’s (DHP’s) National Partnerships Team to

• Identify, engage, and mobilize public and private sector partners in HIV/AIDS prevention, including national campaigns and awareness days
• Provide technical assistance and training to partners

Solution

Westat focused on the following tasks

• Providing training and technical assistance to partners and grantees to improve their capacity for HIV prevention work
• Recruiting additional national partners to promote the Let’s Stop HIV Together campaign (formerly the Act Against AIDS campaign)
• Developing tools and resources to help partners and grantees with campaign messages
• Providing support for national HIV Awareness Days
• Promoting campaign materials and partnerships at national events and conferences

Results

As a result of our work, Westat

• Transformed groups and individuals that already have partnership relationships with the National Partnership Team into “HIV Champions” to improve sustainability of partnerships
• Provided technical assistance and communications expertise to CDC partners to support their HIV prevention initiatives
• Developed tailored and customizable tools and resources to support partner outreach
• Implemented in-person engagement events in cities across the country, bringing together hundreds of partner organizations and individuals 

Westat continues to work closely with DHP’s National Partnership Team in new project work supporting the Let’s Stop HIV Together Campaign. We help to foster partnerships and develop tools and resources that help further reduce the rate of new HIV infections, combat stigma and discrimination, and promote access to care for people living with HIV.