HIV FOCUS Program


Nearly one in five HIV-positive Americans—approximately 208,000 individuals—do not know they are infected. People with undiagnosed HIV account for an estimated two-thirds of sexually transmitted HIV infections because they do not know they are putting others at risk.  Routine screening targets one of the major drivers of the epidemic: undiagnosed infection.

City Partnerships

Established in 2010, Gilead’s HIV FOCUS program (HIV on the Frontlines of Communities in the United States) partners with healthcare providers, government agencies and community organizations to:

  • Demonstrate best practices for integrating routine HIV screening into healthcare
  • Reduce the number of undiagnosed individuals – including the number who are diagnosed late – and ensure that people with HIV are linked to treatment and care
  • Change public perceptions about HIV testing and overcome HIV-related stigma that may discourage testing

HIV FOCUS works in 10 cities that together are home to approximately half of people with undiagnosed HIV in the United States: Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.
 

Progress to Date

HIV FOCUS partners have begun integrating routine HIV screening into a range of healthcare settings, conducting more than 300,000 tests to date. Examples include:

  • New York City – Urban Health Plan (UHP): We are supporting a program that integrates HIV screening into standard clinical practices in a network of community health centers in the South Bronx serving 45,000 patients. UHP’s approach is designed to be replicable in other outpatient settings.
  • Miami – South Beach AIDS Project (SOBAP): This partnership integrates HIV testing with other health tests in a busy pharmacy located in South Beach. SOBAP reaches populations that do not always recognize their risk for HIV and offers testing that is both accessible and cost efficient.
  • Washington, D.C. – Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV): With support from HIV FOCUS and the nonprofit organization Family and Medical Services, a DMV office in a high-prevalence neighborhood of Washington, D.C., offers free on-site HIV testing for customers while they wait for their driver’s licenses.

For More Information


Download a detailed overview of Gilead’s HIV FOCUS Program (PDF).

At Gilead we are inspired by the opportunity to address unmet medical needs for patients living with life-threatening diseases around the world.