When We Feel Whole: Learnings From the accelerate Initiative

The accelerate Initiative is ViiV Healthcare’s commitment to support a range of community-driven activities that strengthen the health and well-being of Black gay and bisexual men. The initial four-year, $10 million investment was in two cities hardest hit by HIV—Baltimore, Maryland, and Jackson, Mississippi.

Based on the learnings from accelerate, ViiV Healthcare’s pilot, place-based initiative, this document is meant to inform, inspire and ignite community-centered solutions to disrupt current trends and conditions in HIV treatment and care and improve the health and well-being of Black gay, bisexual, same-gender-loving and other men who have sex with men.* It provides a brief summary of the impetus for and elements of the Initiative and the overall impact that was seen and it highlights eight key learnings in two areas: 1) designing, activating and sustaining a place-based initiative to address health disparities and innovation; and 2) deploying innovations and disruptions to reduce individual- and community-level stigma.