On June 23, the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GBC) and a consortium of well-known U.S. companies announced a campaign to revamp domestic HIV/AIDS programs, reinforce local health systems and bolster prevention, testing and treatment.

The GBC’s U.S. HIV initiative is supported by pharmaceutical company Pfizer, which provided $1 million dollars for initial efforts in three of the cities most affected by HIV in the United States: Washington, DC; New York City; and Oakland, California. Through the campaign, the GBC will work with local governments to guide companies in the private sector to commit to the fight against HIV/AIDS. In turn, companies will help the HIV initiative offering demographics research, message development, marketing and mass communications, program management and other support.

In addition to Pfizer, participating companies include Levi Strauss & Co., Coca-Cola, BET, Facebook, Chevron, the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), HBO, BD, The Brink’s Company, Colgate-Palmolive Company and OraSure Technologies.

“This campaign is about business doing what business does best to address a virus that is hurting families, communities and the private sector,” said John Tedstrom, CEO of GBC. “This extraordinary commitment will make a critical difference in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Collectively, these companies, combined with the work of government and other advocates, have the right tools and resources at their disposal to achieve the best possible results.”

Organizations contributing to the U.S. HIV Initiative include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Black AIDS Institute, the Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR), Black AIDS Media Partnership, the Kaiser Family Foundation, the Congressional Black Caucus, Gay Men’s Health Crisis and the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS.