HIV drugmaker Theratechnologies’ new campaign, I Am a Champion, celebrates minorities living and thriving with the infection.
Released in time for National Minority Health Month in April, the campaign highlights four long-term survivors who are HIV positive and span different genders, ethnicities and sexual orientations.
Available on the www.iamachampion.life website, patient-centered videos focus on four people from the southern part of the U.S., which is currently the epicenter of the HIV epidemic.
The designated champions include David Robertson, a social worker from Detroit; Masonia Traylor, an AIDS activist in Atlanta; Shadawn McCants, a mental health counselor living in Houston; and Angela Hunt, a peer educator in Orlando.
“The spokespeople were nominated by HIV community organizations and leaders, which include people with HIV, advocates and healthcare providers,” Mable Taplin, Theratechnologies community liaison, told Fierce Pharma Marketing in an interview.
“Each of the featured champions has dedicated their life to improving the health and wellness of others living with HIV and to end the HIV epidemic.”
By focusing on individuals who continue to thrive while coping with the physiological and psychosocial aspects of living with HIV, Theratechnologies, which markets HIV treatments Trogarzo and Egrifta SV, hopes the campaign will inspire others who might otherwise feel marginalized.
The videos are featured as a Facebook live event on the Thera Community Team’s Facebook page ever fourth Monday of the month. Once a video is released, the recording is also shared on several community partners’ Facebook pages.
Other pieces of the I am a Champion campaign include a conference toolkit containing print materials and video shorts, which will be used for Thera community sponsored events throughout 2023. The campaign will also be showcased via social media, email newsletters and editorial ads in HIV focused print media.
Theratechnologies is partnering with AIDS and community-based organizations that provide services to the broader HIV community including African Americans, the Latinx community and others.
“We are also utilizing feedback from our community partners to ensure that the messaging for the campaign and our online programs are culturally competent and relevant,” Taplin said. “We are currently building momentum through our relationships with African American leaders in the HIV community and promoting the campaign through grassroots marketing.”
In fact, I Am a Champion came about from feedback from minorities with HIV, who identified a need to see more positive images of minorities living and thriving with HIV.
“The urgency to create this campaign is reinforced by the disproportionate impact that HIV is having on the African American Community particularly in the Southern United States,” Taplin said. Currently, Southern states have the highest rates of HIV-related morbidity and mortality.
In addition, Blacks/African Americans account for a higher proportion of new diagnosis and people with HIV, compared to other races and ethnicities.
“The I Am a Champion campaign raises awareness of long-term survivorship in the African American community and it addresses stigma by creating a safe space for the champions to share their stories of hope and triumph.
While the campaign ambassadors are African American, anyone with HIV can greatly benefit from their experiences and leadership. Each one of them has lived experiences that anyone with HIV can relate to,” Taplin added.
Moving forward, Theratechnologies will continue to support the HIV community by building relationships with community leaders and advocates, providing culturally relevant disease education and awareness, and prioritizing the creation of innovative ways to support grassroots initiatives.