A Community-Driven Approach to Address Health Disparities in HIV Care
Connecting individuals living with HIV to high-quality care, treatment and support
In 2019, the Merck Foundation established HIV Care Connect to help address persistent HIV disparities with a $7 million, five-year commitment.
HIV Care Connect is a multi-site initiative that aimed to reduce disparities in access to HIV care and improve health outcomes for people of color living with HIV in the Southeastern United States.
Aligning program benchmarks with federal frameworks and national initiatives
The National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS), is a federal framework to guide the nation’s response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America, is the national initiative aiming to reduce new infections to less than 3,000 a year by 2030.
“Three quarters of people newly diagnosed
with HIV in the South are people of color.”
In 2017, over two thirds of gay and bisexual men diagnosed with HIV were men of color, and approximately three quarters of women diagnosed with HIV were women of color. "
Our Goals
Improve linkage to and retention in high-quality HIV care for populations most affected by HIV
Build sustainable collaborations between the health care sector and other sectors to address access barriers related to the social determinants of health
Improve health outcomes for persons living with HIV, particularly in underserved communities
Disseminate key findings and program results to advance best practices for improving HIV care
