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amfAR Launches GMT Initiative to Combat HIV/AIDS, Stigma Among Gay Men, Other Men Who have Sex with Men, and Transgender Individuals
Successor to amfAR's MSM Initiative, the GMT Initiative better reflects the diversity of populations served by the program and is more focused on long-term systems change in regions around the world
NEW YORK, October 15, 2012 - Building upon its successful MSM Initiative, amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, on
Monday launched the GMT Initiative, aimed at curbing the HIV/AIDS epidemic among gay men, other men who have sex with men (MSM), and
transgender individuals-collectively referred to as "GMT."
The new name reflects a more strategic focus for the program and an opportunity to capitalize on recent advances in the
science of reducing HIV vulnerability among GMT. It also recognizes that, since its inception in 2007, the program has not confined
itself solely to MSM.
"For more than five years, amfAR's MSM Initiative has been a global leader in confronting the AIDS epidemic among gay men,
other men who have sex with men, and transgender individuals -populations disproportionately affected by the epidemic in every corner of
the world," said amfAR CEO Kevin Robert Frost. "In renaming the initiative, we are also recommitting ourselves to achieve broader
long-term results. Our central goal is to help create an AIDS-free generation among gay men, other MSM, and transgender individuals."
Since launching the MSM Initiative in July 2007, amfAR has made 184 Community Awards totaling more than US$3.3 million to
support 140 frontline organizations serving GMT in 72 countries. As the program evolved, many awards went to groups focusing exclusively
on transgender individuals, said GMT Initiative Director Kent Klindera.
"We're taking the best of what we've learned during the past five years and applying that knowledge, as well as new science,
to have a greater impact on the global AIDS epidemic," Klindera said. "We're strengthening our program to challenge public health and
other social service systems to better serve the needs of GMT, while continuing to support vibrant community-led programming. We
know from experience that larger, systemic changes are best achieved through empowering local communities."
The GMT Initiative will focus on several core areas:
- Funding and more formally evaluating combination HIV program models that can be scaled up
- Emphasizing the connection between rights-based advocacy and successful service delivery
- Supporting targeted advocacy to influence government and donor policies
- Strengthening the capacity of GMT-led organizations to collaborate with and expand access to appropriate government-funded HIV programs
- Supporting epidemiological, resource tracking, and other research to advocate for GMT-related health services
Like its predecessor, the GMT Initiative will continue to award grants and build the capacity of community organizations
working to decrease the spread of HIV/AIDS in five regions: Africa, Asia and the Pacific, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe and
Central Asia, and Latin America. Community groups use the funding for a wide array of projects, including programs that
focus on changing attitudes, building skills of health providers to better serve GMT, promoting testing and other
interventions that maximize the benefits of HIV medications, and working with local government officials to
increase attention to HIV in these populations and to change laws that criminalize same-sex sexual
behavior. The GMT Initiative is supported in part by Aids Fonds of the Netherlands, the Elton
John AIDS Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Levi Strauss Foundation, and ViiV Healthcare Positive Action.
HIV prevalence is high for GMT around the world. A July 2012 analysis published in The Lancet shows that 25 percent of gay
men and other MSM in the Caribbean are living with HIV, while 18 percent of MSM in Africa are infected. The few existing studies of
transgender women have shown HIV prevalence of up to 68 percent in some countries. Additionally, in much of Africa, Asia, and
Latin America, the highest rates of HIV infection in any risk group are among GMT.
According to a January 2012 analysis by amfAR and the Center for Public Health and Human Rights (CPHHR) at Johns Hopkins
University, funding to address the epidemic among GMT is grossly insufficient, and resources intended for this population are often
diverted away from GMT-related services.
"There is a real need for the kind of work the GMT Initiative is funding," Klindera said. "We've already made a tremendous
impact through our MSM Initiative, and we hope our new focus through the GMT Initiative will save more lives, change policies, and help
stop the spread of HIV/AIDS."
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Source: amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research
About amfAR
amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, is one of the world's leading nonprofit organizations dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and the advocacy of sound AIDS-related public policy.
Since 1985, amfAR has invested more than $340 million in its programs and has awarded grants to more than 2,000 research teams worldwide. www.amfar.org
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Cub Barrett, Program Communications Manager, amfAR
cub.barrett@amfar.org
(212) 806-1602
Source:amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research
amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research
"Reproduced with permission - amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research"
amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research
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