Paul Kawata

NMAC is launching its new “ESCALATE” — Ending Stigma through Collaboration And Lifting All To Empowerment — program designed to “reduce stigma against People Living With HIV at the individual, organizational and systemic levels.”

The program is funded by a cooperative agreement with the Health Resources and Service Administration.

NMAC Executive Director Paul Kawata said ESCALATE will train participants in the 57 jurisdictions identified in “Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America” to recognize and address HIV stigma, with a particular focus on transgender/gender nonconforming individuals, men who have sex with men and the Black/African-American community.

Kawata said NMAC will work in partnership with NORC, Abt Associates, TRX Development and the University of Chicago.

“Stigma remains a major obstacle to HIV prevention, treatment, and care,” Kawata said. “Any plans to end the HIV epidemic, whether national or local, must address that stigma in order to be successful.

“Using our deep experience in training community leaders, NMAC will use the ESCALATE program to educate communities how to be able to see stigma when it happens and provide tools to address it when it does. It’s a huge task but one that is absolutely necessary,” he added.

Charles Shazor Jr., associate program manager in the NMAC’s Center to End the Epidemics, said, “This new HIV stigma reduction programming will help NMAC lay the foundation towards ending the HIV epidemic by year 2030 as outlined in the EHE. HIV stigma is a primary contributor to health gaps and disparities around access to HIV treatment and prevention within communities of color.

“The ESCALATE partnership will build a newly combined force of national HIV community leaders geared towards HIV stigma elimination in the 57 jurisdictions included in EHE,” he said.

Jane E. Fox, principal associate with the Division of Health and Environment at Abu Associates called HIV-related stigma “a pressing public health issue” that creates systemic and personal barriers for people living with HIV, which can prevent accessing needed medical care and services that improve health outcomes and overall quality of life.”

Dr. Russell Brewer is research associate professor at the University of Chicago, Medicine and chair of ESCALATE’s Implementation Science Advisory Team. He said the university is “excited to lead the implementation science advisory team that will work to support, strengthen and sustain stigma-reduction efforts in the various jurisdictions.”