Recognizes an individual or group who works to prevent infectious and chronic diseases through research, surveillance, and behavioral change.

Union Positiva, Inc. is a grassroots minority-serving community-based organization that has provided HIV/AIDS services in South Florida since 1997. Based in Miami-Dade County, Union Positiva’s mission is to attend to the needs of Latinos and other minorities, ensuring access to HIV/AIDS services— emphasizing wellness, disease prevention, linkages to care and treatment, and community health improvement. Based on the ethical principles of public health, Union Positiva strives to eliminate health disparities among minorities, especially Latinos and disfranchised low-income communities. As a provider of highly personalized prevention programs, Union Positiva prides itself on client-centered and linguistically-tailored HIV/AIDS interventions. Among priority groups in South Florida, Union Positiva programs have promoted a number of HIV risk reduction behaviors. Services provided the community include Oraquick HIV/AIDS rapid testing, STD screenings, prevention case management, outreach to high-risk locations at nontraditional hours using a mobile van, and linkages to care and treatment. Services provided by Union Positiva are confidential and free to all clients. In 2010, Union Positiva was one of only five nationwide CBOs requested to participate in the development of the CDC’s updated HIV Counseling, Testing and Referral Guidelines in nonclinical settings. Additionally, a Union Positiva priority is the implementation of CDC-Effective Behavioral Interventions (EBIs). Over the past 10 years, Union Positiva has implemented seven CDC-EBIs among high risk populations—both HIV positive and HIV negative. In addition, the organization has provided Ryan White Part A services for almost five years. Union Positiva is currently collaborating with FIU on two HIV prevention campaigns targeting Hispanic youth and young adults. They are both funded by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.   By virtue of Union Positiva’s success in the community, Latinos and other disfranchised low-income communities have increased access to the free and convenient HIV prevention and care they require and deserve.