According to the New England Journal of Medicine, 95% of monkeypox (MPV) cases are gay and bisexual men, 98% of the cases were sexually transmitted, 41% were living with HIV. Additional CDC data says that 63% of the cases are people of color, with 31% Latinx and 27% African America, 4% Asian, 1% Native American. That puts MPV squarely within NMAC’s mission to lead with race.
Funding from Gilead will help NMAC inform public policy to drive a more comprehensive, swift and coordinated community response. NMAC will act as the policy response organizing center to help address policy issues related to HIV and MPV.
NMAC will focus on vaccine equity and overcoming vaccine hesitancy, particularly in Black and Latinx gay and bisexual men. The hesitancy is based on past HIV experiences in PrEP and documented by the reality that people of color make up the majority of new cases of HIV and MPV and are the majority of people living with HIV.
NMAC Staff and Responsibilities
Joe Huang-Racalto, Director of Policy & Strategic Partnerships
Joe will lead NMAC’s MPV response and policy initiatives.
- Overall Coordination
- Work with White House and Capitol Hill
Chip Lewis, NMAC Director of Communications
Chip will lead all MPV communications efforts.
- PR Strategy
- Weekly E-newsletter
- Production Educational Materials
- Web Site
Charles Shazor Jr., NMAC Director of the Center to End the Epidemic
Charles will oversee development of NMAC trainings on MPV.
- Develop Curriculum for Training on Vaccine Equity
- Develop Curriculum for Training on Overcoming Vaccine Hesitancy
- Host Online Training
Moises Agosto, NMAC Director of Treatment
Moises will be the point person on MPV workshops for NMAC conferences.
- Develop USCHA Workshops
- Develop Summit Workshops
- Ensure Scientific Accuracy
Tara Barnes-Darby, NMAC Director of Conferences
Tara will be responsible for incorporating MPV into USCHA 2022’s federal plenary plans.
• Organize USCHA Plenary