OUR COMMITMENT: LETTING COMMUNITIES LEAD TO END THE HIV EPIDEMIC
As the world comes together on December 1 for World AIDS Day, ViiV Healthcare embraces this year’s theme, Let Communities Lead, as a core part of our company DNA.
HIV and AIDS touch every corner of the globe, and ViiV is proud to center individuals and organizations that are stepping up at the community level to make a difference for those impacted and to help end the epidemic. Two individuals who have committed their lives to making a difference are P.J. Moton-Poole, Senior Manager of External Affairs at ViiV Healthcare, and Lee Storrow, Senior Director of External Affairs at Community Education Group, a ViiV grantee organization which provides access to healthcare, public education and job training for underserved rural communities and community-based organizations in West Virginia and Appalachia.
P.J. has worked in public health for more than 16 years. In his role at ViiV, P.J. serves communities by developing culturally relevant programs that provide HIV education, address stigma and help improve access to prevention and care services for Black and Latinx men.
I think about my own journey and how ViiV has shown up in letting communities lead,” shares P.J. “And it’s not just letting them lead in the dark. It’s about providing them with the resources and the incubation and the training and support that they need to actually move the needle with regard to HIV.
For Lee, his relationship – both professionally and personally – with P.J. goes back nearly 10 years as they started their journey as young leaders in the HIV space.
“It’s been an incredible experience knowing and working with P.J. for so many years, and one of the things we always talked about was the importance of letting the community voice be our North Star,” explains Lee.“ Through my work with the Community Education Group, we’re not only serving as strong advocates for HIV treatment and prevention, but we’re also working to change perceptions and elevate the stories of the people touched by the disease in Appalachia, like those of Black women, who are sometimes left behind. We are grateful for our relationship with ViiV as a true partner that is aligned with our goals of ending HIV transmission and disparities in care at the community level.”
At ViiV Healthcare, our vision is to end the HIV epidemic and make sure no one living with HIV and AIDS is left behind. One of the most important ways we will achieve this vision is through our support of and ongoing relationships with organizations like Community Education Group and others across the U.S. who are making a tangible difference at the community level.
Hear more about how P.J. and Lee are making a difference for communities most disproportionately impacted by HIV and AIDS.
