MenStar Coalition

In July 2018, at the International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam, PEPFAR launched the MenStar Coalition  with the Elton John AIDS Foundation, Unitaid, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, Johnson & Johnson, and Gilead Sciences. MenStar supports innovative approaches to deliver appropriate and effective HIV/AIDS services for men, increasing their rapid uptake of HIV testing, linkage to HIV treatment, and achievement of viral suppression. The MenStar Coalition intends to reach an additional 1 million men with HIV treatment through its investment and support over 90 percent of HIV-positive men in this age group to be virally suppressed to effectively interrupt HIV transmission.

Recent data from many high-burden countries show that men, particularly those ages 24-35 years, access HIV testing and treatment at low rates, endangering their own health and also expanding the spread of HIV among adolescent girls and young women. In some countries, more than half of men in this age group do not know their HIV status and are not on treatment.

MenStar’s goals will be achieved through multiple approaches:  data analytics and human-centered design to better adapt services to men; nuanced demand creation; targeted marketing targeted demand-creation; targeted consumer marketing; innovations such as HIV self-testing; supply-side solutions, including male-friendly strategies for HIV service delivery, such as dedicated men’s corners at existing health clinics, expanded clinic hours, and pick up points outside clinics for stable patients; and ensuring essential HIV commodities and services are available to meet increased consumer demand.

MenStar partners will share findings and progress, including integration opportunities and impact on women, to optimize the best approaches.

Original Press Release [167 KB]

MenStar Strategy [230 KB]