The US Conference on HIV & AIDS (USCHA) is one of the most significant public health events of the year.
GAVIN Senior Project Manager Avery McDougle and Senior Marketing Coordinator Kevin Acri were among this year’s attendees, which included 4,000 public health professionals, outreach workers and community-based organizations from across the country. Thirty percent of the audience at the Washington, D.C. event were currently living with HIV.
More than 4,000 people attended the US Conference on HIV & AIDS
The conference’s overarching theme, “A Love Letter to Black Women,” served as a rallying cry for change. It spotlighted the urgency of placing Black women at the forefront of policymaking, goal setting, and campaign development for HIV prevention and support initiatives. The event also emphasized the critical need for increased visibility of Black women in outreach materials to foster greater representation.
“Black women have played an instrumental role in advancing HIV initiatives for decades, yet their contributions often go unnoticed,” said McDougle. “The conference underscored the need to include diverse voices at the table and emphasized the necessity of addressing more than just men in the fight against HIV. By participating in the conference, GAVIN has positioned our team as seasoned experts in HIV marketing, propelling us to the forefront of innovation and proficiency. We are committed to serving our clients who specialize in infectious disease with a deep level of expertise. We are not merely an agency that grasps marketing; we go the extra mile to understand your industry and deliver exceptional value to the sector you serve.”
For more than a decade, GAVIN has worked to develop comprehensive public awareness and education campaigns that aim to prevent HIV infection and reduce HIV-related illness through increased access to resources.
Prominent Voices
The USCHA included several distinguished speakers who have worked to shape the landscape of HIV advocacy.
The conference was headlined by Congresswoman Maxine Waters, who proposed legislation that subsidized the minority aid initiative that funds numerous Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) nationwide. Waters called upon attendees to unite against mounting extremism and the threat of rolling back HIV support, funding, and research to levels reminiscent of the epidemic’s darkest days in the 1980s.
USCHA included Several Noteworthy Speakers
Emmy Award-winning Actress Sheryl Lee Ralph, a steadfast advocate in the fight against HIV for the past three decades, also addressed the crowd, sharing her invaluable insights and experiences.
Key Sessions
The USCHA Conference 2023 served as a platform for advancing critical discussions, forging meaningful connections, and inspiring change in the fight against HIV through a diverse array of sessions, reflecting the multifaceted nature of the HIV epidemic and the need for holistic approaches to address it.
Throughout the conference, Avery and Kevin engaged in sessions that helped further GAVIN’s dedication to advancing equitable healthcare solutions and promoting diversity in public health leadership.
Sessions provided essential insights into the latest advancements in HIV treatment and care, emphasized the importance of racial diversity in vaccine research to ensure equitable access to preventive measures, and examined strategies and challenges in the journey to end HIV transmission.
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