Hispanics account for approximately 16 percent of the
U.S. population, yet they account for about 20 percent of all new HIV cases.
Delayed testing and access to care are some reasons why Latinos/Hispanics
are often diagnosed at a late stage of HIV infection. Sharing Stories,
Creating Hope aims to address the unique challenges the community faces by
strengthening patient-provider relationships and supporting engagement in
care for Latinos/Hispanics living with HIV.
"Making a culturally relevant campaign accessible to
providers and people living with HIV in order to further educate about the
benefits of accessing HIV care and staying in treatment is critical for
meeting the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, which calls for
significantly reducing new HIV infections and improving care for people
living with HIV," stated Guillermo Chacon, President, Latino Commission on
AIDS. "We are pleased to work with Merck to launch this campaign, which is
important not just for the Latino community, but the entire HIV field."
"Merck has a longstanding history of collaborating
with the HIV community to reduce healthcare disparities in treatment and
care," said Chirfi Guindo, Merck General Manager and Global Commercial
Leader, HIV. "Our unique cross-sector collaboration with the Latino
Commission on AIDS is paramount to ensuring communities have access to
culturally and linguistically relevant resources. We are proud to support
the Sharing Stories, Creating Hope campaign that transforms the experiences
of individuals into concrete strategies to improve linkage to and retention
in HIV care."
Key components of the Sharing Stories, Creating Hope
campaign include:
- Bilingual videos highlighting effective,
replicable HIV care strategies for both patients and providers to
implement
- Relevant and relatable personal stories of
Latinos/Hispanics across the U.S and in Puerto Rico
- Bilingual tools for the facilitators of
individual or group programs accompanied by an action-oriented resource
for participants
The Latino Commission on AIDS and Merck recognize
the tremendous contributions of the video participants and the local,
regional and national participants to making this project a reality.
How to Access Sharing Stories, Creating Hope
This resource can be ordered at
www.latinoaids.org,
www.nlaad.org, or
www.latinohivtesting.org.
About the Latino Commission on AIDS
The Latino Commission on AIDS (Commission) is a nonprofit membership
organization founded in 1990 dedicated to meet the health challenges and
addressing the impact of HIV/AIDS. The Commission is the leading
organization coordinating National Hispanic Hepatitis Awareness Day,
National Latino AIDS Awareness Day and other prevention, research, capacity
building, and advocacy programs across the United States and its
territories.
Merck´s Commitment to Communities Impacted by HIV
For more than 25 years, Merck has been committed to reducing healthcare
disparities and improving access to HIV treatment and care in the United
States. As part of this commitment, Merck engages in public-private
partnerships to reduce the impact of HIV on those most in need and most at
risk. Merck collaborates with leading AIDS service organizations to develop
solutions that strengthen access to treatment, care, and support for
disproportionately impacted communities. For more information about Merck´s
commitment to reducing health disparities in HIV, visit
www.merckresponsibility.com.
About Merck
Today´s Merck is a global healthcare leader working to help the world be
well. Merck is known as MSD outside the United States and Canada. Through
our prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, and consumer care
and animal health products, we work with customers and operate in more than
140 countries to deliver innovative health solutions. We also demonstrate
our commitment to increasing access to healthcare through far-reaching
policies, programs and partnerships. For more information, visit
www.merck.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
