As the world marks World AIDS Day (December 1) in this 30th year of the epidemic, Greater Than AIDS announces scaled up partnerships and collaborative efforts with leading media and other corporate allies, community organizations, and state and local health departments to increase knowledge and understanding about HIV/AIDS in America, encourage actions to prevent its spread, and reduce the stigma surrounding the disease.
“HIV isn’t what it was 30 years ago. We have the power to end it,” said Tina Hoff, Senior Vice President and Director, Health Communication and Media Partnerships, Kaiser Family Foundation, which provides strategic guidance and day-to-day management for Greater Than AIDS. “Greater Than AIDS leverages the resources of the public and private sector to connect those most in need with information and services.”
Phill Wilson, President and CEO of the Black AIDS Institute, co-founding Greater Than AIDS partner, commented, “30 years of AIDS is enough. We have the tools to end the AIDS epidemic. It only requires each of us doing our part. I am proud that SiriusXM Radio, OUT Magazine, Walgreens and our other partners and collaborating organizations have stepped up to do their part.”
Among the announcements from Greater Than AIDS today:
Hundreds of community organizations from San Francisco to Philadelphia are integrating Greater Than AIDS messages into World AIDS Day events with free informational materials and interactive activities from the campaign.
Since the campaign’s launch in 2009, an unprecedented coalition of media has joined together to support Greater Than AIDS. More than 10,500 national TV PSA airings have been placed by FOX, BET, Logo, and NBA TV, and more than 20,800 local TV PSA airings have been placed by CBS, NBC, and Google TV stations, representing a total of 260 hours of airtime. More than 52,800 radio PSA airings have been placed by American Urban Radio Network, Clear Channel Radio, CBS Radio, Emmis Communications, and Radio One, amounting to approximately 400 hours of airtime. More than 15,000 outdoor postings have been provided by CBS Outdoor, Clear Channel Outdoor, and Blue Line Media in 35 priority markets. Leading monthlies, including The Advocate, EBONY, ESSENCE, Heart & Soul, HIVPlus, OUT, POZ, UPTOWN, and VIBE are provide ongoing visibility to the campaign in the form of PSA placements and editorial coverage, as well as online PSA placements. Greater Than AIDS is also working with state and local departments of health and community foundations in more than 15 states to expand the reach of the campaign in hard hit areas through joint events and special promotions.
AIDS in America
As the AIDS epidemic enters its fourth decade, according to 2011 national survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, two in five Americans – including three in five Black Americans – now know someone living with HIV or who has died from AIDS. More than 1.1 million people are living with HIV/AIDS in the U.S. today – more than at any time in the history of the epidemic. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in five of those who are positive does not know it.
HIV/AIDS is both preventable and treatable — early HIV diagnosis and treatment helps those who are positive live longer and healthier lives, and also reduces the spread of the disease. Yet, one in three Americans with HIV is diagnosed late – within a year of an AIDS diagnosis – making these treatments less effective. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) identifies stigma as a major contributor to the spread of HIV, keeping people from seeking information, speaking openly, using protection, getting tested and treated and otherwise acting to protect themselves and those they love.
About Greater Than AIDS
Greater Than AIDS is an unprecedented collaboration among a broad coalition of public and private sector partners united in response to the HIV/AIDS crisis in the United States, in particular among Black Americans and other disproportionately affected groups. Through a national media campaign and targeted community outreach, Greater Than AIDS aims to increase knowledge and understanding about HIV/AIDS and confront the stigma surrounding the disease.
The Kaiser Family Foundation — a leader in health policy and communications — provides strategic direction and day-to-day management, as well as oversees the production of the media campaign. The Black AIDS Institute — a think tank exclusively focused on AIDS in Black America — provides leadership and expert guidance and directs community engagement. Greater Than AIDS is developed in support of Act Against AIDS, an effort by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to refocus attention on the domestic epidemic. Additional, financial and substantive support is provided by the Elton John AIDS Foundation, Ford Foundation and MAC AIDS Fund, among others.
The Kaiser Family Foundation, a leader in health policy analysis, health journalism and communication, is dedicated to filling the need for trusted, independent information on the major health issues facing our nation and its people. The Foundation is a non-profit private operating foundation, based in Menlo Park, California.