Limited funding for monkeypox hampers charities

Two biopharmaceutical companies will give $5 million and $500,000, respectively, to nonprofit organizations in the United States and abroad that are responding to the growing monkeypox outbreak. The pledges come as the early philanthropic response to the disease, which disproportionately affects LGBTQ people, has been fairly muted compared with the early days of COVID-19.

Gilead Sciences, which produces HIV medicines, is providing up to $5 million to nonprofits in the United States and abroad that are working to prevent and treat monkeypox. It will give $350,000 each to GLAAD, the Human Rights Campaign, the National Black Justice Coalition, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights. Those nonprofits will collaborate on a public education campaign and create materials about vaccination, treatment, and prevention that can be shared with organizations across the country.

Gilead will also give another $500,000 to NMAC, a nonprofit working to end the HIV epidemic, which will use the money to lead an advocacy campaign focused on ensuring monkeypox vaccines are distributed equitably and to fight vaccine hesitancy. The remaining $3 million will be distributed in grants of up to $50,000 to Gilead’s grantees outside the U.S. that are also seeing a rise in monkeypox cases.

Viiv Healthcare, another pharmaceutical company focused on HIV treatments, will make $500,000 in grants to nonprofits in the United States helping with outreach, education, and testing related to monkeypox.

Both companies have a history of helping LGBTQ people deal with health issues and supporting people who have HIV/AIDS.

Nonprofits and health providers responding to monkeypox have seen a strain on their resources after dealing with COVID-19.