Gilead Sciences Awards Over $1.5 Million USD In Grants Supporting Communities To Help End The HIV Epidemic In Asia Pacific
-- Funding Supports 44 HIV Patient-Centric Projects to Improve HIV Care Services for Vulnerable Communities Across 16 Locations including Singapore--
SINGAPORE, Nov. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Gilead Sciences today announced the recipients of its 2021 Gilead Asia Pacific Rainbow Grant ("Grant"), a regional grant program that supports community-led projects which place people living with HIV and their communities at the heart of care. Gilead is awarding more than $1.5 million USD to 44 projects across 16 locations in Asia Pacific, including Singapore, to help improve access to HIV prevention and treatment services for people living with HIV (PLWH). Among the grant recipients, two projects are from Singapore.
The 2021 Grant follows the theme of *"Building Back Better to End HIV" *in support of the World Health Organization's agenda to end the HIV epidemic by 2030^[1] and bears in mind the toll that the COVID-19 pandemic has taken on organizations providing services to people living with or at risk of HIV.
A total of 44 project submissions out of 150 entries were chosen across the Asia Pacific region. The projects seek to address three areas of critical unmet need i) Education and Literacy; ii) Reducing the Health Disparities; iii) Research for Impact.
In Singapore, the Greenhouse Community Services and Sunshine Initiative Singapore (Project X) are among the Grant recipients. The former focuses on capacity building for service providers and peer training to strengthen community-based support while the latter will target the hard-to-reach populations who are exposed to the risk of HIV via digital and social media platforms.
"Compared to general populations, the hard-to-reach populations living with HIV are less likely to access and achieve optimal care and adherence. The COVID-19 pandemic has also exacerbated existing health inequalities. With support from the Rainbow Grant, we would like to step up education in a creative and digital way to engage the target populations, supporting them in seeking appropriate care," said Vanessa Ho, Executive Director from Project X.
"Through the Gilead Asia Pacific Rainbow Grant, we look forward to supporting the myriad of innovations emerging from the context of the pandemic, from peer-to-peer support to digital platforms for patient support," said Stanley Li, General Manager, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia, Gilead Sciences. "Beyond scientific advances, Gilead is committed to working hand-in-hand with our community partners towards the goal of ending the HIV epidemic by 2030."
Other grantee projects focus on reducing stigma and barriers people living with HIV face, as well as offering trainings and workshops – both online and offline – to deepen the capacity of family members of people living with HIV, volunteers and health care providers. These projects exemplify the innovation required to adapt to new COVID-19 realities and could offer important advantages to current strategies for control or elimination of the HIV epidemic that other countries may follow.
*About Gilead Sciences** *
Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that has pursued and achieved breakthroughs in medicine for more than three decades, with the goal of creating a healthier world for all people. The company is committed to advancing innovative medicines to prevent and treat life-threatening diseases, including HIV, viral hepatitis and cancer. Gilead operates in more than 35 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Foster City, California.
*About the Gilead Asia Pacific Rainbow Grant *
The Gilead Asia Pacific Rainbow Grant program is a corporate giving initiative dedicated to supporting HIV-related projects that address the challenges faced by communities affected by HIV. The Rainbow Grant program aims to empower, engage and form partnerships and alliances so that people living with HIV can achieve the best quality of life possible. Since 2018, over US$3 million have been awarded to more than 70 projects across Asia Pacific. For more information about the grant program and the grantees and their stories, please visit https://www.gileadrainbowgrant.com.
For more information on Gilead Sciences, please visit the company's website at www.gilead.com, follow Gilead on Twitter (@GileadSciences) or call Gilead Public Affairs at 1-800-GILEAD-5 or 1-650-574-30.
*Appendix*
*Below are some of the **2021 Rainbow Grant Recipients**:*
*Organization*
*Project Summary*
*OpenRoom*
Promoting and implementing volunteer participation models in Hong Kong to spread HIV preventive information via videos on social media channels.
*Action for REACH OUT*
Producing educational animated videos on HIV prevention in local languages for sex workers in Hong Kong. The videos will be shared via digital and social media channels.
*The Greenhouse Community Services Ltd*
Developing sexual health and peer support as well as capacity building training workshops for communities at-risk of HIV in Singapore.
*Sunshine Initiative Singapore (Project X)*
Conducting monthly social media activities to increase awareness on various topics, including HIV care and transmission prevention, patient self-advocacy, and awareness of U=U (Undetectable equals untransmissible).
*Shinaneun Center
*
Producing a Pride Film to overcome the prejudice and discrimination faced by the LGBTQ+ community in South Korea.
*LOVE4ONE
*
A U=U integrated campaign to increase awareness of the difficulties and challenges faced by PLWH, particularly around social stigma in South Korea.
*Wiki Media Korea
*
Creating an archive of LGBTQ+ history via a photo contest to raise awareness and reduce discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community.
*Korea Federation for
HIV/AIDS Prevention
*
Increasing HIV education through distribution of sexually transmitted infections (STI) kits and HIV self-test kits to MSM in selected locations in South Korea.
*Persons with HIV/AIDS Rights Advocacy Association of Taiwan
*
Conducting surveys and focus groups on oral healthcare provision for PLWH; developing educational material and providing capacity building training on issues related to long-term care for PLWH.*Taiwan HIVStory Association
*
Organizing three experimental theatre events, two workshops for sex workers in Tainan and Kaohsiung and a digital resource platform to advocate for HIV prevention.
*Taiwan Lourdes Association *
Renewing the social dialogue platform to improve visitor experience as well as organizing a camp to empower women living with HIV.
*Taiwan AIDS Foundation
*
Two-fold plan to provide HIV education in rural schools and digital outreach for high-risk groups; to educate and encourage adoption of HIV prevention measures, syphilis testing and drug abuse prevention.
*HIV Education and Research Taiwan
*
A multifaceted plan to engage underserved communities, such as MSMs and migrant workers, through a combination of in-person and online outreach campaigns to promote HIV prevention.
*Taiwan Gdi Association
*
Providing social-psychological support to the LGBTQ+ community, drug users, as well as their loved ones through peer support group meetings and workshops; amplify voices of PLWH through a new podcast series, H+ere.
*Taiwan Tongzhi (LGBTQ+) Hotline Association
*
Organizing lectures and producing videos on gay and bisexual men's health and wellbeing; boosting quality of care with in-person and online training programs for volunteers.
*Taiwan Love and Hope Association
*
Creating support groups for the chemsex community who wish to quit using substances by providing access to licensed psychologists; facilitating interpersonal interaction; and ensuring early prevention by peer observation and information-sharing.
*Taiwan Society of Preventive Medicine
*
Providing HIV screening in the community; promoting HIV awareness and education through community outreach programs, including an AIDS quilt design exhibition for senior high school and college students.
*Beijing Love Without Borders Foundation
*
Conducting a five-day U=U campaign activity, workshops to spread awareness on HIV education, lecture tours and visits with a targeted audience of 300 people, as well as launching a hotline service for PLWH.
*Jin Tang Six-color Rainbow Healthcare Service Center
*
Carrying out a series of disease education lectures targeting MSM population.
*Changsha Zonda-sunshine Social Work Center
*
Holding disease education activities with healthcare providers to train volunteers, establishing psychological care service in the Changsha hospital, and creating activities for PLWH and their family members.
*Shanghai Overseas Chinese Foundation
*
Promoting offline disease education, psychological care support for PLWH. Online education will focus on producing disease-education related videos on social media.
*Pioneer Social Work Service Center
*
Conducting volunteer trainings with an expected capacity of 60 people and community outreach through the distribution of leaflets and releasing 300 videos on social media.
*Chengdu Tongle Social Work Service Center
*
Recruiting and training volunteers, providing care services to hospitalized PLWH. Organizing panels and activities for and with PLWH as well as producing post-event leaflets to be shared on social media.
*Beijing Youan Home of Loving Care
*
Implementing five online and offline trainings for volunteers, an information sharing session as well as developing telemedicine capabilities.
*Huatian Public Welfare Service Center of Shangcheng District in Hangzhou
*
Promote disease education by organizing six online lectures, a mini program to raise awareness of the organization's online HIV testing application, and two web games.
*Weifang Concentric Along Center for Public Service Center
*
Organizing outreach programs in communities and school, as well as providing psychological support for PLWH through a peer support initiative and therapy sessions.
*Myanmar Youth Stars *
Developing a social media campaign to target communities that practice chemsex, unsafe sexual behavior, and to ensure that misconceptions around drug use are addressed in Myanmar.
*HIV & AIDS Support House Inc*
Expanding national HIV testing capabilities, screening services, and PrEP access and disease education for transgender women, MSM and the chemsex community in the Philippines.
*Thanh Danh Research and Development Consultant LTD. (GLINK VIETNAM) *
Implementing communications activities targeted at young MSM to enhance their HIV literacy.
*Christian Service Society (CSS)*
Empowering 200 brothel-based sex workers and 400 transport workers across Mongla and Bagerhat in Bangladesh by teaching preventative measures against STIs and HIV; an advocacy campaign on the provision of healthcare services such as HIV testing; and stigma reduction amongst the community.
*Rural Health Organization*
Reducing the HIV/STI transmission rate of drug users and high-risk youth within the Manipur state in India by providing life skill training. HIV/STI prevention training will also be provided to healthcare practitioners, alongside community awareness campaigns with an aim to reach 10,750 beneficiaries.
*Japan Foundation for AIDS Prevention*
Raising awareness of HIV prevention and education via a series of activities on World AIDS Day including street campaigns, digital platform, educational materials, in collaboration with local authorities, medical associations and student volunteers.
*redribbonSAPPORO*
Providing HIV prevention and testing information in Sapporo, Japan, through a variety of multi-media activities including exhibition booths at Sapporo Pride Parde, stage and other pilot programs.
*PLACE Tokyo*
Supporting the "Nest Program" in Japan, a peer-to-peer support service to PLWH, through provision of up-to-date HIV care information, online counselling service, "buddy" system, and assistance in going out to visit hospitals.
[1] United Nations, Countries Commit to Action to End AIDS by 2030, 2016