CDAF Awards Third Round of Grants for Relink Program

LAFAYETTE, Colo.--BUSINESS WIRE--

Building on the progress of the first two rounds, the Center for Disease Analysis Foundation (CDAF) Relink program is pleased to announce seven hundred and eighty-two thousand dollars in funding for its third round of grantees. The following six organizations are beneficiaries:

The CDAF Relink program is in its second year of operation. Funded by an eight-million-dollar grant from the Gilead Sciences (Nasdaq: GILD) Relink program, it is currently the largest global effort to reconnect diagnosed but untreated Hepatitis C (HCV) and Hepatitis B (HBV) infected individuals to care. This is a crucial step toward achieving the World Health Organization's 2030 Viral Hepatitis Elimination goals in the United States (U.S.). Significant progress has been made toward elimination in the last decade. However, increasing the number of HCV-infected people who complete treatment and are cured, or HBV-infected people who are retained in care remains challenging.

"In the case of HCV, many high-income countries like the U.S. are considered early adopters, that is, they were on the frontlines of diagnosis and treatment for HCV," noted Homie Razavi, the Managing Director of CDA Foundation. "However, due to fragmented patient management systems, many diagnosed individuals are lost to follow up. It is possible that more than half of the population believed to be diagnosed but untreated may already be receiving care somewhere or have passed away. Additionally, organizational and legal constraints often prevent organizations from fully leveraging patient navigators to engage with the community and link individuals from high-risk groups to appropriate care. However, implementing culturally appropriate and innovative programs which meet patients at their point of need is sure to improve relinkage to care."

Fundisani Mangena, Chief Operating Officer of First Choice Primary Care, believes the initiative will make a lasting impact on the well-being of the community served by his organization. "This funding supports our mission to improve health outcomes by closing treatment gaps and ensuring patients receive timely, life-changing care," he stated. "Treatments and medications have come a long way," said Tuesdae Stainbrook, D.O., MPH, chief investigator of TruReach Inc, another beneficiary. "These funds will help break down barriers that have prevented patients from engaging in care upon diagnosis."

The call for a fourth and final round of proposals will open in September 2025. Proposals from state health agencies and their partners will be given priority.