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Gilead Sciences awards $1.4M grants to improve HIV patients' lives in Asia Pacific

16 December 2019 | News

The public-private partnerships approach aims to achieve the goal where 90 % of HIV patient will learn their HIV status, 90 % of HIV-positive patients with known status will be on treatment, and 90 % of patients on treatment will have a suppressed viral load

Gilead Sciences has announced the recipients of its 2019 Gilead Asia Pacific Rainbow Grant program, a regional grant initiative that supports community-led programs for people living with HIV in the Asia Pacific region. Through this year’s program, Gilead is awarding a total of US$1.4 million to close to 40 projects across the Asia Pacific. More than 136 submissions received from Asia Pacific Community Organizations.

In the Asia Pacific, 5.9 million people are living with HIV/AIDS, and 46% of them do not have access to antiretroviral therapies. Started in 2018, the Gilead Asia Pacific Rainbow Grant program directly supports HIV-related community-led projects. The program is part of Gilead's broader efforts to enhance public-private partnerships in the Asia Pacific region to address the challenges facing communities affected by HIV. The program has received submission across 18 countries and territories and has since supported many creative and bold HIV- related projects to help build and improve HIV response in; access & quality of Life, Digital communities, Diversity &Inclusion, friendly communities, multidisciplinary care and youth engagement.

This year, the 2019 Gilead Asia Pacific Rainbow Grant aims to accelerate progress on the “Fourth 90”, which complements the “90-90-90” global treatment goals established by UNAIDS to end HIV. These targets aim to achieve the goal that 90 % of people living with HIV will know their HIV status, 90 % of people who know their HIV-positive status will be on treatment, and 90 % of people on treatment will have a suppressed viral load. The Fourth 90 target aims to ensure that 90 % of people living with HIV achieve a good health-related quality of life.

“For people living with HIV, the virus is one among myriad factors that contribute to their total health and well-being,” said Amy Flood, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs, Gilead Sciences, Inc. “The Asia Pacific Rainbow Grant program recognizes the need for a broader approach to helping people with HIV live well – one that goes beyond HIV suppression – and the central role of community-based organizations in helping to address the diverse challenges that can affect the quality of life, including mental well-being and HIV-related discrimination.”

A total of 136 entries were received across the Asia Pacific region during the grant application window. The proposed projects seek to address three areas of high unmet need: i) Access and Quality of Life; ii) Multidisciplinary Care; iii) Diversity and Inclusion. 

“Stigma against HIV and people living with HIV continues to hinder progress. We need to do more to address these barriers as well as empower all those who are at-risk, newly diagnosed and living with the disease to live fulfilling, productive, and happy lives. With support from the Gilead Asia Pacific Rainbow Grant, Action for AIDS will be able to plug some of the gaps in the healthcare system and create a more positive environment for the community, as well as implement some of the proposed activities as outlined in the community blueprint to end HIV transmission and AIDS in Singapore by 2030,” said Avin Tan, Advocacy Manager, Action for AIDS, Singapore.

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