title: National-level capacity-building assistance model to enhance HIV prevention for Asian & Pacific Islander communities.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Asian & Pacific Islander (A&PI) communities in the United States face increasing risk for HIV, yet have limited access to US culturally competent HIV prevention services. We describe a national HIV prevention capacity-building program for A&PI communities using a multitiered approach addressing systems, institutional, and individual level outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  The program developed a national network of A&PI HIV and health-focused institutions, and conducts regional-level replication and dissemination of this model to support four areas of capacity building. This network is led by two national organizations coordinating the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the National Capacity-Building Assistance Program.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Baseline data are compared with the last 2 years of preliminary data that show increased capacity among community-based organizations and health departments to strengthen culturally competent models of HIV prevention. Systems-level outcomes so far show enhanced leadership skills for HIV-related advocacy efforts, increased ability to leverage the media, and stronger partnerships between peer providers, health departments, and community leaders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This program model preliminarily demonstrates that national capacity-building initiatives can foster coalition development, replication of program models, materials sharing, and new leadership that improve HIV-related prevention services for A&PI communities.
authors.affiliation: Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center, San Francisco, California 94109, USA. lina@apiwellness.org
authors.forename: Lina
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sheth
authors.forename: Don
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Operario
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Latham
authors.forename: Bhupendra
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sheoran
mesh_terms: D001213:Asian / Q000193:education; D002487:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.; D018672:Community Health Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005380:Financing, Government; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D006290:Health Planning Technical Assistance; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D017146:Models, Organizational; D044468:Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander / Q000193:education; D015995:Prevalence; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011635:Public Health Administration; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology