Launched in 2004 by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in coordination with the Kaiser Family Foundation and UNAIDS, the Global Media AIDS Initiative (GMAI) is founded on the principle that media represents a formidable ally in any effort to address HIV/AIDS. The GMAI unites media companies around the world with five large-scale regional partnerships in Africa, Asia-Pacific, the Caribbean, Latin America, and Russia. Through regionally-coordinated campaigns and activities, these media coalitions leverage the communication power of mass media to inform audiences about HIV and to challenge stigma related to the disease. Serving as the Secretariat of the GMAI, the Kaiser Family Foundation provides strategic and technical support to each of its regional initiatives. The GMAI also receives funding from the Ford Foundation, the Elton John AIDS Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.