GILEAD SCIENCES S A PARTNERS WITH THE LGBT+COMMUNITY IN SUPPORT OF CAPE TOWN PRIDE

Gilead Sciences South Africa was this year’s official sponsor of Cape Town Pride 2023, celebrating diversity, inclusion and broad access to healthcare.

As thousands of people took to the streets of Green Point, Cape Town, during the annual Pride March, Gilead hosted a Pride Activation Stand together with the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation to show support for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Plus (LGBT+) community and raise awareness about LGBT+ issues and equitable access to healthcare.

In a visit to South Africa, Mr. Rashad Burgess, Vice President of Advancing Health and Black Equity at Gilead Sciences Inc., addressed the public at the Official Pride Mardi Gras, stating that it was an honour for Gilead to be a long-standing supporter of Pride. “South Africa has the largest number of HIV infections globally; more than 7.5 million people are living with HIV. However, a lot of work still needs to be done to address HIV and the systemic inequalities driving HIV infection rates,” said Burgess.

“We must continue to advance research and programmes that strive for equitable access to healthcare for all. Our ambition has led us to reach great accomplishments, but more work is needed. We stand with the community; we want you to live, love and be liberated,” added Burgess.

Pride provides a platform for Cape Town’s LGBT+ community to raise awareness of LGBT+ issues and campaign for the freedoms that will allow them to live their lives on a genuinely equal footing.

Mr. Christopher Whitfield, Gilead Sciences General Manager for Africa, said: “Inclusion is one of Gilead’s core values, and to support Cape Town Pride 2023 is demonstrative of our commitment to living our values every day. We believe that supporting diversity and access to critical lifesaving healthcare better drives innovation, which ultimately helps us better serve patients.”

In Gilead’s pursuit to drive equitable access to healthcare, it has partnered with various local organisations to support access to healthcare.

Gilead has partnered with the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation (DTHF), a registered non-profit company established in association with the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, an accredited research centre within the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town (UCT). Bridging academic research with community development programmes, the DTHF collaborates with those most at risk to find innovative solutions for preventing and treating HIV and related infections.

Gilead supports MenConnect, a mobile platform developed by Reach Digital Health (previously known as Praekelt.org) in collaboration with the MenStar Coalition to support men through their HIV treatment journey, promoting retention to care and adherence to treatment. MenStar is a unique coalition of partners founded to expand the diagnosis and treatment of HIV infections in men, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The $1.2 billion coalition was launched by Elton John and Prince Harry at the AIDS Conference in Amsterdam in 2018.