2025 50+ Cohort
H.I.V. plus Strong and Healthy

Building healthy communities 

Launched in 2016, NMAC’s 50+ Strong & Healthy Program has trained leaders across the United States and Puerto Rico. In addition to increasing community knowledge about HIV treatments and how to manage & prevent comorbidities, this program seeks to lessen isolation, which continues to be an obstacle for people living with HIV (PLWH) over the age of 50. 

While training and webinars allow opportunities for learning and interacting with others, they also build community, professional relationships, and friendships. Social bonding creates healthy communities, and the Treatment division is committed to organizing social events to strengthen the bonds within the HIV 50+ cohorts.

Developing leaders & building power

NMAC’s HIV 50+ Strong & Healthy program seeks to offer people living with HIV (PLWH) who are over the age of 50 the information, resources, and opportunities to become leaders and advocates for themselves and their communities. 

One way we achieve this is by supporting over 50 scholars as they develop their skills in designing, implementing, and evaluating interventions and projects tailored for older people living with HIV (PLWH) through our mini-grant program. We want Scholars to feel confident about their abilities to take on big, months-long projects and seek additional funding opportunities to continue their work.  

We also help Scholars develop their leadership skills by offering meaningful internship opportunities with NMAC’s Treatment Division and by connecting over 50 scholars with external leadership opportunities, such as invitations to join panels and presentations, throughout the year.

Creating Social Connections

An essential component of our program is helping our 50+ Scholars build social connections with one another. Each year, we invite a group of PLWH over 50 and/or other Long-Term Survivors to attend our annual U.S. Conference on HIV/AIDS (USCHA). During the conference, Scholars follow the “HIV and Aging” Pathway to hear the latest research and information relevant to older adults living with HIV, in addition to attending plenaries, workshops, and institutes offering content related to aging. 

We continue to build the community throughout the year with regular virtual cohort meetings and encourage participation in the virtual 50+ Strong and Healthy Group on Facebook, which boasts over 2,400 members.

2025 HIV 50+ Strong and Healthy Cohort

NMAC is proud to announce the selection of 50 leaders from across the country as members of the 2025 HIV 50+ Strong & Healthy Cohort. These individuals, all living with HIV and over the age of 50, represent the resilience and power of Long-Term Survivors. Through this national leadership program, cohort members will receive training, mentorship, and support to become more vigorous community advocates. As part of their year-long journey, members will participate in advocacy efforts, community education initiatives, social media campaigns, and national webinars. They will also attend the 2025 United States Conference on HIV/AIDS (USCHA) in Washington, D.C., where this year’s theme is “Aging with HIV.” The program’s goal is to empower each participant to help shape and promote HIV research, treatment, and public awareness in the effort to end the HIV epidemic. Together, these 50 leaders are proving that aging with HIV is not only possible but also powerful.

This year’s HIV 50+ cohort is comprised of older adults living with HIV and who demonstrate a record of advocating for PLWH over the age of 50 and/or other Long-Term Survivors. The cohort includes 25 returning Scholars (50%) and 25 new Scholars (50%).

  • Age: This year, 60% of the group is in their 50s, and 40% are 60 or older. People living with HIV are getting older, and by 2030, 70% of those with the virus will be 50 years old. It’s crucial to focus on the leadership and involvement of older adults.
  • Race/Ethnicity: Among this year’s cohort of people aged 50 and above, 60% are Black/African American, 16% are Latinx, and 24% are White. Black women represent 36% of the group, which is the highest percentage of any demographic. Following them are Black men at 26% and White men at 24%.
  • Gender: From the selected group, 38% are women, while 56% are men. Additionally, 2STING individuals (Two Spirit, Transgender, Intersex, Non-binary, and Gender Non-conforming) account for 6% of the selected Scholars.
  • Geography: The Scholars come from 19 different states.

We congratulate and welcome these Scholars, and we look forward to working with all of them.

Meet the 50+ Strong and Healthy Program’s 2025 Cohort 

Advocating for Older Adults Living with HIV and Long-Term Survivors (LTS)

NMAC’s Treatment Division takes a leading role in pushing forward policy goals for older adults living with HIV and long-term survivors (LTS). This involves co-organizing the Federal AIDS Policy Partnership’s (FAPP) Aging Working Group, working with international partners to support the Silver Zone at AIDS 2022—a networking and wellness area for LTS—and teaming up with organizations like the U.S. PLHIV Caucus, AIDS United, SAGE, The Reunion Project, and ROC4Aging+ to conduct community listening sessions at AIDSWatch and USCHA.

At the core of all our work is a dedication to educate constituents, allies, and policymakers about the specific needs of older adults living with HIV. We achieve this through programs like our HIV 50+ Webinar Series and the HIV and Aging pathway at USCHA, which offers visibility, education, and community for LTS.

We also work closely with NMAC’s Strategic Partnerships & Policy Division to advocate for structural policy changes, like expanding the Older Americans Act to acknowledge people living with HIV as a group with increased social needs.

HIV 50+ Virtual Internships and Mini-Grants

Internships

The Treatment Division offers internships to help over 50 scholars improve their skills and gain experience in advocacy within the HIV movement. Each intern is expected to commit 10-12 hours per month to this program. The Division provides a financial incentive to selected interns. Participants will work on expanding HIV 50+ social media platforms, sharing social media kits via email groups and listservs, creating social media posts, and planning online events as part of the CDC’s Let’s Stop HIV Together campaign. They will also participate in the HIV 50+ Community Education Project online trainings and serve as organizers for recruitment and member engagement.

Mini-grants

Mini-grants are financial incentives designed to support community building and awareness efforts at the local level for 50+ Scholars and NHAAN members. Community education and awareness are priorities. Interested participants must submit a proposal with a budget between $1,000 and $2,500, including detailed descriptions of deliverables and associated costs. A call for proposals will be issued in the second quarter of the year.

Webinars

The 50+ program hosts four webinars annually for scholars, NHAAN members, and the broader HIV 50+ community to share current information about healthcare issues affecting this population. These webinars are designed to complement the online training provided in the HIV 50+ Community Education Project.

Contact

Audrianna (Dri) Marzette, M.S.

Associate Manager
Center for HIV Treatment, Leadership & Community Engagement
240-863-4643