Every month, he picks up medication at his local Walmart pharmacy that makes HIV undetectable and untransmittable — a prospect that was unthinkable just a generation ago.
Yet racial and ethnic disparities remain pronounced, with people of color accounting for a disproportionate share of new HIV diagnoses.
Walmart launched an HIV specialty-pharmacy pilot program in late 2021, targeting just over half a dozen highly affected communities, including Rosario's county in New Jersey.
"We can see from the data that that there's a need here — there's a higher incidence of HIV," said Kevin Host, Walmart pharmacy senior vice president.
Now, the retail giant plans to expand its program to more than 80 HIV-specialty facilities across nearly a dozen states by the end of this year.
Persons:
David Rosario, Rosario, Kevin Host, Callaghan, Gemima Kleine, it's
Organizations:
Walmart, Disease Control, Shoppers, Callaghan O'Hare, Bloomberg, Getty
Locations:
New York City, New Jersey, Rosario's, Charlotte , North Carolina