Background

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in eight people living with HIV in the United States is undiagnosed, and more than one third of all new HIV infections are transmitted by people who do not know that they have HIV. HIV self-tests, which can be done at home or in other private settings, are a confidential way for people to learn their HIV status, and this knowledge can help connect them to lifesaving preventative tools and treatment. Because of COVID-19 lockdowns and closures, HIV self-testing increased over the past two years, and it has proven to be a cost-effective way to make HIV testing more accessible in regions where healthcare is often a challenge—including in communities with limited access to affordable medical testing, rural communities and those that are disproportionately affected by HIV.

Solution and Impact

The CDC Foundation is funding 53 community-based organizations in this program to help increase access to HIV self-testing in communities across the country. Their programs establish or expand upon HIV self-testing programs by:

• Procuring and distributing HIV self-test kits to clients
• Distributing other HIV risk reduction products
• Developing communication products that educate clients about HIV self-testing
• Equipping trusted influential messengers
• Hosting or supporting local events
• Developing educational campaigns
• Collaborating with state and/or local health departments
• Collaborating with medical clinics, SSPs or other community-serving organizations
• Developing safe spaces for clients

Learn more about the 53 community-based organizations we support.

This project is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $9M with 100 percent funded by CDC/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS or the U.S. Government.

The CDC Foundation is collaborating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the Partnering for Vaccine Equity (P4VE) program to increase equity in adult immunization.

The benefits of vaccination are not realized equally across the population of the United States. Adult vaccination coverage remains low nationally and significant racial and ethnic disparities exist.

The CDC Partnering for Vaccine Equity (P4VE) program provides funding and support to a network of national, state and local organizations prioritizing equity in COVID-19 and flu vaccination access.

Through this program, the CDC Foundation supports 101 community-based organizations (CBOs) representing 34 states and Washington, D.C. The CBOs are working to develop locally focused outreach to increase vaccine education, access and acceptance in groups that have been marginalized by long-standing health and social inequities—including racial and ethnic minority groups, refugees and immigrants, persons with disabilities, rural populations and others.

In addition, the CDC Foundation partners with five national digital marketing and media organizations to address misinformation about COVID-19 and the flu. The media partners monitor and combat misinformation about vaccines across social media channels and promote digital health literacy among communities experiencing disparities in immunization. They also develop digital assets for community-based organizations including videos and graphic images that can be used in vaccine outreach.

The CDC Foundation also created and maintains the Vaccine Resource Hub—an online repository of free materials about COVID-19, influenza, and other adult vaccines. The site gives CBOs and the public access to accurate and diverse resources and information about vaccines in over 50 languages and offers inspiring stories about the innovative P4VE work.

The partnerships forged through this collaborative program will create stronger, more resilient communities and a healthier future for everyone.

Read our recent blog about the Southeast Arizona Health Education Center in Nogales, AZ.

Years 1-3 of this project were supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $69,392,486 with 100 percent funded by CDC/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS or the U.S. Government.

The United States is in the midst of a growing opioid epidemic. As a result of sharing contaminated needles, HIV transmission rates have also increased. In response, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is providing tools that can reduce harm in communities experiencing high rates of HIV transmitted by needles. Syringe Services Programs (SSPs) can support communities by offering services such as testing for HIV and other infectious diseases, access to clean needles and connection to treatment upon request. Unfortunately, there is a significant stigma surrounding SSPs and the people who use them. This project aims to leverage social media to educate communities about the benefits of SSPs, dispel misinformation and garner support at a grassroots level. CDC is funding the CDC Foundation to implement public health interventions based on social media messaging and engagement in target communities. The CDC Foundation is partnering with the Public Good Projects (PGP), a nonprofit with expertise in implementing public health interventions on social media.

The CDC Foundation is collaborating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to expand best practices for water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in healthcare facilities (HCFs) through implementation of targeted action research pilots in Uganda. These pilots involve developing and testing context-appropriate solutions for increasing uptake of WASH practices and sustained management of WASH services that meet the needs of patients and healthcare workers. Proposed action pilots will adapt promising interventions implemented in the United States and other healthcare settings to the context of Ugandan primary HCFs or identify new approaches where no interventions exist.

Pilot activities will include:

• Identifying the determinants of sustainability of WASH infrastructure in HCFs through review of policies and practices among HCFs with well and poorly managed infrastructure;
• Understanding patient and healthcare worker needs for drinking water and sanitation services, which remain understudied, and testing systems that meet their needs;
• Assessing the effectiveness and acceptability of formalizing management responsibilities of WASH infrastructure that is often neglected, such as water supply and sanitation facilities, through standard operating procedures and job aids;
• Identifying and testing culturally appropriate accountability systems for improving healthcare worker hand hygiene practices, including novel approaches that are suitable for small facilities.

There has been increased global focus in the past decade on the inadequate status of systems and WASH practices in HCFs and the importance of these systems for preserving the health and dignity of healthcare workers, patients and communities. Recent Ebola outbreaks and the COVID-19 pandemic have further highlighted the essential role of strong WASH systems in HCFs for infection prevention and control (IPC). However, despite advocacy and intervention efforts, global WASH in HCF stakeholder meetings in 2016 and 2019 continued to find significant gaps in sector knowledge. These include the need to identify effective approaches for sustainably managing WASH services and ensuring appropriate WASH practices are consistently adopted, particularly in aspects of patient and staff WASH needs that lie outside of IPC such as drinking water and sanitation.

As an increasing number of partners engage in WASH in HCF initiatives, evidence-based, field-tested best practices in these areas are needed to enable effective implementation and management by HCF leadership and supporting partners.