Merck Launches “Your Hive of Whole Health” Program to Support Whole-Person Well-Being for People Living With HIV
Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, has launched Your Hive of Whole Health, a new multi-year educational program designed to help people living with HIV build personalized networks of support addressing physical, mental, emotional and social well-being.
The initiative was unveiled at the 2026 U.S. Conference on HIV/AIDS (USCHA) in Anaheim, California, which is taking place from September 17-20, 2026. Developed around the concept of whole-person health, the program aims to broaden conversations about HIV management beyond viral suppression and treatment alone by encouraging individuals to identify the people, healthcare professionals and community resources that can support different aspects of their lives.
Merck said the initiative is intended to recognize progress made in the global HIV response while emphasizing the continued importance of comprehensive care and community support. The program reflects an approach in which physical health is considered alongside mental wellness, emotional health, social circumstances, co-occurring medical conditions and other factors that can influence quality of life.
Building a Personal “Hive” of Support
The central concept behind Your Hive of Whole Health is inspired by the collaborative strength of a beehive. The campaign encourages people living with HIV to create their own personalized “Hive,” consisting of individuals and resources that can contribute to their overall health and well-being.
A person’s Hive may include healthcare providers, family members, friends, peers, community advocates and other support networks. Each member can have a different role depending on an individual’s needs and circumstances.
Merck said that identifying these sources of support and understanding how they can contribute to a person’s health may be particularly valuable for people navigating HIV while aging, managing multiple health conditions or facing other challenges that can affect everyday life.
The initiative provides educational tools and resources intended to help people identify, develop and maintain these personal support networks.
The approach reflects the evolving nature of HIV care. Advances in treatment have enabled many people living with HIV to manage the condition over the long term, increasing the importance of addressing other dimensions of health and quality of life alongside HIV treatment.
NMAC Highlights Importance of Whole-Person Health
Harold Phillips, CEO of NMAC, said community organizations have an important role in supporting people living with HIV and emphasized the need to address the broader factors that influence health.
According to Phillips, NMAC has made whole-person health a strategic priority because ending the HIV epidemic requires attention to physical, mental, behavioral, emotional and social factors.
Phillips also highlighted USCHA as an important gathering for the HIV community, providing a setting where advocates, healthcare professionals, organizations and community members can exchange knowledge, reflect on progress and discuss future priorities.
The launch of Your Hive of Whole Health at the conference provides an opportunity to connect the program’s objectives with the broader HIV advocacy movement and the community organizations involved in supporting people living with HIV.
The initiative is designed to reinforce the idea that effective HIV management involves more than medical treatment alone and that individuals can benefit from having a broad and coordinated network of support.
Debbie Allen Brings Focus to Whole-Person Well-Being
Legendary advocate Debbie Allen is also supporting the campaign and will host a premier plenary session at USCHA alongside other advocates from across the HIV community.
Allen emphasized the importance of addressing the whole individual, including mind, body and spirit. She reflected on her involvement with the HIV community, describing the evolution from an earlier period characterized by fear and crisis toward a greater focus on inclusion, community and well-being.
Allen said the campaign highlights how supporting individuals as whole people can strengthen the wider community.
Her participation is part of the campaign’s effort to combine educational information with community engagement and cultural experiences, creating opportunities for attendees to consider the different forms of support that can contribute to their own well-being and that of others.
USCHA Plenary to Celebrate Four Decades of HIV Advocacy
The Your Hive of Whole Health program will be featured during a premier plenary session at USCHA on September 19.
Hosted by Debbie Allen and other HIV community advocates, the session will align with this year’s conference theme, “United and Unbreakable, the HIV Movement at 45.”
The event will bring together prominent voices from the HIV community to reflect on experiences and advocacy efforts spanning approximately four decades. The program will also include cultural performances intended to celebrate community resilience and the progress achieved through collective action.
Beyond the presentations and performances, the session will provide opportunities for attendees to connect with one another, learn about whole-person health and consider the role they can play within their own broader support networks.
The Hive concept is intended to emphasize that different people and organizations can contribute to health in different ways. For someone living with HIV, a healthcare provider may provide medical care, while peers may offer lived-experience support, family may provide emotional assistance, and community organizations may help address social or practical needs.
Expanding the Conversation Around HIV Management
Conrod Kelly, HIV Business Unit Lead, U.S., at Merck, said the HIV response has historically been driven by the community and acknowledged the contributions of advocates and organizations involved in developing Your Hive of Whole Health.
Kelly said the initiative is intended to broaden the conversation around HIV management to include areas such as mental wellness, co-occurring health conditions, social drivers of health and other challenges that may affect people’s lives.
This approach does not replace the importance of HIV treatment and viral suppression. Instead, the program seeks to place those elements within a broader framework of health and well-being.
For people living with HIV, social circumstances, emotional well-being and other health conditions can influence how individuals experience their disease and engage with healthcare. A broader support network may help people identify resources and sources of assistance that address these different needs.
Merck’s initiative therefore focuses on giving individuals tools to understand the various components of their personal support system and encouraging them to develop networks that reflect their individual circumstances.
Developed With Community Organizations and Advocates
Merck said Your Hive of Whole Health was created in collaboration with an advisory council made up of community organizations and advocates.
The involvement of community stakeholders is intended to ensure that the program reflects the experiences and needs of people living with HIV. Community engagement has long played a central role in the HIV response, including advocacy, education, treatment access and efforts to reduce stigma.
By working with organizations and advocates, Merck aims to create resources that address whole-person health from multiple perspectives rather than focusing exclusively on clinical measures.
The campaign is expected to continue as a multi-year educational program, providing resources intended to support people living with HIV as they consider their physical, mental and social well-being.
Merck’s Longstanding Focus on HIV Research
The new initiative is part of Merck’s broader commitment to HIV research and development. The company said it has been involved in HIV research and discovery for more than 40 years, contributing to the development of treatment options across multiple drug classes.
Merck said its ongoing work includes the development of antiviral candidates for both HIV treatment and prevention. The company also highlighted collaborations across the global HIV community and initiatives intended to improve access.
The company said the lived experiences of people affected by HIV continue to inform its research approach, with an emphasis on developing innovations while considering the realities of everyday life for people who may use those treatments.
A Broader Vision for HIV Care
The launch of Your Hive of Whole Health reflects the changing landscape of HIV care, in which long-term management increasingly includes considerations beyond controlling the virus.
As people living with HIV navigate different stages of life, they may encounter changing healthcare requirements, additional medical conditions, mental and emotional challenges, or social circumstances that require support. A personalized network can potentially help individuals connect different sources of care and assistance.
Merck’s program uses the Hive concept to communicate this broader approach and encourage people to identify the individuals and organizations that can play meaningful roles in their health journey.
The initiative was launched at a major gathering of HIV advocates and healthcare stakeholders, providing a platform for discussions about the future of HIV advocacy and whole-person health. Through its educational resources, community partnerships and USCHA programming, Your Hive of Whole Health seeks to encourage a more comprehensive understanding of what it means to support people living with HIV.
For Merck, the program complements its longstanding work in HIV research, treatment and prevention while placing additional emphasis on the physical, mental, emotional and social dimensions of health. As the HIV community continues working toward ending the epidemic, the company said that maintaining a focus on the whole person will remain an important component of its efforts to support individuals and communities affected by HIV.
About Merck
At Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than 130 years, we have brought hope to humanity through the development of important medicines and vaccines. We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world – and today, we are at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. We foster a diverse and inclusive global workforce and operate responsibly every day to enable a safe, sustainable and healthy future for all people and communities.