Walgreens joins initiative to end HIV in the U.S.
Two company leaders attended a World AIDS Day roundtable hosted by the White House to celebrate the launch of the U.S. Business Action to End HIV.
More than 1.2 million people are living with HIV in the U.S., and about 13% of them don’t know it and need testing. There are nearly 35,000 new cases each year.
Walgreens has supported those impacted by HIV since the beginning of the epidemic, over 40 years ago. Now, the company is doubling-down on that support by joining the U.S. Business Action to End HIV, a new coalition of businesses committed to accelerating progress to end HIV in the country by 2030.
All founding members of the coalition were invited to a White House-hosted World AIDS Day roundtable on Dec. 1. Alexandra Broadus, Walgreens senior director of product management disease states, and Brad McElya, PharmD, Walgreens director of specialty health solutions, represented the company at the event.“By combining the strengths of the coalition with Walgreens expertise in HIV prevention and treatment, we can make ending the HIV epidemic a reality,” Broadus says. “We remain committed to providing education, tools, testing and support to help prevent HIV and connect those living with HIV to care so that they live long, healthy lives.”The U.S. Business Action to End HIV, initiated by ViiV Healthcare and organized by the Health Action Alliance, was formed in response to the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, which seeks to mobilize all sectors of society in a united response.“Ending HIV in the U.S. is within our reach—and the nation’s companies have the unique expertise, infrastructure and trust from their employees to make this goal a reality,” says Stephen Massey, Managing Director of the Health Action Alliance.In addition to providing services to help prevent, test and treat HIV, Walgreens invests in training its pharmacy team members to address the challenges faced by people living with HIV. The company’s more than 3,000 specially trained pharmacists offer one-on-one, confidential HIV care including medication counseling, prevention options and how to apply for assistance programs like Ready, Set, PrEP (PrEP medications offer another effective means to reduce the risk of getting HIV). Walgreens also offers clinical support for people living with HIV through the company's hundreds of nationwide community-based pharmacies and nearly all of its 9,000 pharmacies.
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