AIDS.gov National HIV/AIDS Strategy Feed

Conversation with AIDS.gov: Dr. Valdiserri on HIV and Viral Hepatitis Screening

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:00:14 +0000

By Miguel Gomez, Director, AIDS.gov, and Senior Communications Advisor, Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

In advance of National HIV Testing Day, AIDS.gov recently had a conversation with Dr. Ronald Valdiserri, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, Infectious Diseases, and Director, HHS Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy. We talked about the importance of HIV testing, particularly as it relates to meeting the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, and as an opportunity to screen for viral hepatitis as well. CDC estimates that of the 1.1 million people living with HIV in the United States, nearly 1 in 5 of them don’t know they are infected. During our conversation, Dr. Valdiserri observed that with the recent award of a Grade A recommendation for routine HIV screening for all people aged 15 to 65 by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, HIV testing is now the recognized standard of care in the United States and, as such, people ages 15 to 65 should be tested for HIV at least once and those at increased risk should be tested more often. Making HIV testing a routine part of healthcare can help us identify more people living with undiagnosed HIV infection, connect them to care, and reduce their chance of passing the virus to others. These are all important activities that will help us improve the HIV treatment cascade.

Dr. Valdiserri also reminded us that HIV prevention and testing service providers have an important opportunity to help identify individuals with undiagnosed viral hepatitis. Given that we know that these disease conditions share many risk factors, individuals who are infected with HIV may also be co-infected with hepatitis B or hepatitis C virus. Left untreated, chronic viral hepatitis can lead to very serious health consequences, including liver cancer. Better integration or coordination of prevention and testing services will help provide more services to people in need.

View our conversation:

The Future of Health Department HIV and Hepatitis Programs

Tue, 28 May 2013 17:17:40 +0000

By Dawn Fukuda, Sc.M., Director, Office of HIV/AIDS, Massachusetts Department of Public Health and Chair, National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) Cross-posted from NASTAD Blog

Dawn Fukuda

For perhaps the first time in history, the end of HIV/AIDS and hepatitis is within our reach. Recent notable achievements provide promise for success, among them the release of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) and the Viral Hepatitis Action Plan (VHAP) and the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Collectively, these achievements have catalyzed the beginning of a radical transformation in our healthcare systems for communities impacted by HIV and hepatitis. In particular, the ACA represents an opportunity for the country to expand access to HIV/AIDS and hepatitis prevention, medical care, and health promotion services in profound and impactful ways. The systems-level changes advanced in the legislation also require state health departments to reassess their role in the context of an evolving health care system and the other sources of financing that may become available to support what have historically been public health functions—this is particularly the case for HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis prevention and care services.

Preparing Health Department Programs for Health Reform Implementation

Expanding access to critical HIV/AIDS and hepatitis services will require health departments to:

Undertake an exhaustive inventory of direct care functions, services, and personnel we fund in medical and non-medical settings, and determine what components of the system might be covered under expanded health insurance coverage for our state residents.
Determine the sufficiency of reimbursement for these services, where there will be limitations in coverage—both service gaps and populations that will remain ineligible for coverage—and how long it will take for the new system to be fully established.
Become familiar with their state Medicaid program and the specific plans to enroll newly eligible clients, the scope of the state’s Essential Health Benefits package, and emerging opportunities for enhanced billing associated with HIV Health Homes.

Support for tailored, client-responsive, and intensive prevention and care services administered with resources from discretionary funding streams (notably the Center’s for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] and the Health Resources and Services Administration [HRSA]) may vary among different health insurers (both public and private). Given this variability, health departments should consider enlisting the technical assistance of health insurance experts to:

Determine what types of services will be reimbursed in the new health insurance landscape.
Identify which provider types will be certified to bill third parties.
Determine the extent to which reimbursement rates will cover the full cost of providing essential prevention and care services to impacted population groups and regions.

Health department staff that is responsible for HIV/AIDS and hepatitis prevention and response programs must become adept at describing the specific ways in which public health investments complete gaps in the evolving health care system. In addition, health departments must leverage the opportunities of third party billing to support core public health activities that are essential to successful care and treatment at the patient-level, such as laboratory services, screening and vaccination, disease surveillance, and partner services.

The Continued Need for Public Health Programs

Access to prevention, screening, and medical care services under ACA will undoubtedly improve the opportunities for health promotion and disease prevention in our states and jurisdictions at both the individual- and population-level; however, access alone will not be sufficient particularly for our most vulnerable residents who may experience profound socioeconomic and psychosocial challenges, or may remain categorically ineligible for health insurance coverage. It remains a governmental responsibility (federal, state, and local) to protect and advance public health, particularly in the case of communicable disease. The scientific lessons that have emerged in recent years are clear. Our best chance to make progress in reducing new HIV infections in the country is to ensure that people living with HIV learn their status in a timely manner, access care and treatment, reach viral suppression, and sustain viral suppression long term. This will require investments in new diagnostic technologies, disease surveillance systems, engagement and retention in care interventions, and more effective and tolerable treatments. At this early stage in our country’s transformation of the health care system, it will certainly require a combination of health care reform initiatives and strategic public health investments to accomplish the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy and Viral Hepatitis Action Plan and ultimately achieve a world free of HIV and hepatitis.

We want to hear from you! How are your health department HIV and hepatitis programs preparing for health reform? What challenges are you facing? Share your experience by leaving a comment below.

White House Issues Executive Order on Open Data

contact@aids.gov — Fri, 24 May 2013 16:00:00 +0000

This week marks the one-year anniversary of the Digital Government Strategy, and we want to take a moment to reflect on a recent White House Executive Order about open data.

HIV Treatment Cascade Video Now Also Available in Spanish

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:38:46 +0000

By Ronald Valdiserri, M.D., M.P.H., Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, Infectious Diseases, and Director, Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

“Ahora el video de la Cascada de Tratamiento de VIH también está disponible en español”

Recently we shared an animated video about the HIV treatment cascade in the United States that has quickly become one of the most-watched videos ever on the AIDS.gov YouTube channel . We’re pleased to share the Spanish language version of this video that its producer, Gilead , has just released:

While anyone can become infected with HIV, some Americans are at greater risk than others including Latinos and Latinas, who accounted for 21% of all new HIV infections in 2010 while representing approximately 16% of the total U.S. population according to the CDC [PDF 321KB]. In fact, CDC estimates [PDF 359KB] that at some point in life, 1 in 36 Latino men will be diagnosed with HIV, as will 1 in 106 Latina women. As such, the National HIV/AIDS Strategy includes Latinos and Latinas among the populations it prioritizes for greater attention in HIV prevention, care, and treatment efforts.

HIV Treatment Cascade

The HIV treatment cascade – sometimes also called the HIV care continuum – is a model being used by federal, state and local agencies to identify issues and opportunities related to improving the delivery of services to persons living with HIV across the entire continuum of care—from diagnosis of HIV infection and active linkage to care to initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART), retention in care, and eventually achieving viral suppression (meaning no detectable virus in the blood). The cascade illustrates the proportion of individuals living with HIV/AIDS engaged in each of those various steps in that continuum of care. Unfortunately, it shows that along each step of the continuum, a significant number of people living with HIV in the U.S. “fall off”. In fact, only a minority of persons with HIV achieve suppression of their viral infection, the ultimate goal of HIV treatment that primarily benefits individual health, but also has the important secondary benefit of reducing the likelihood of viral transmission. CDC estimates [PDF 672KB] that three out of four people living with HIV in the United States have not successfully made it through the entire HIV treatment cascade, achieving a suppressed viral load.

“Clearly, we have more work to do,” HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius recently remarked when discussing engagement in HIV care with domestic and global partners. “Identifying and reducing the obstacles along the path from diagnosis to viral suppression is one of the key goals of the President’s National HIV/AIDS Strategy.”

Indeed, we all must do better at engaging a higher percentage of people living with HIV along each stage of the care continuum in order to achieve better outcomes for all people living with HIV and reach all of the Strategy’s goals. Helping people living with HIV to navigate the treatment cascade is a shared responsibility of federal, state, and local governments; healthcare providers; community groups; faith communities; people living with HIV; and others.

These videos can be helpful tools in educating partners and allies about this important charge. Both videos provide a brief overview of HIV in the United States and illustrate how improvements along each step of the treatment cascade are vital to advancing us toward an AIDS-free generation.

Additional Spanish Language Resources

To support health departments, community organizations, healthcare providers, and other partners, AIDS.gov provides a quick reference directory to Spanish language HIV/AIDS resources available from agencies across the federal government on our Recursos en español page.

How could you use these videos or resources to strengthen your work in reaching Spanish-speaking individuals and/or focusing on how to improve the treatment cascade in your community? Tell us in the Comments section below.

Please note that featuring this video on blog.aids.gov does not constitute an endorsement by either AIDS.gov or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) of the private entity’s activities, products, or services.

May 19th is National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

Fri, 17 May 2013 22:28:14 +0000

As we celebrate Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) Heritage Month and the many accomplishments of AAPIs, we also want to recognize that these communities still face many barriers to health and health care, including HIV/AIDS. To recognize these challenges, May 19thhas been designated as the National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. The theme for this year’s observance is: “Saving face can’t make you safe. Talk about HIV—for me, for you, for everyone.” According to the Banyan Tree Project which founded the observance: “Saving face” is a common cultural concept in A&PI communities, where individuals seek to protect the family from perceived public shame or disgrace. In practice, “saving face” contributes to silence about sex, HIV, and safe sex practices. Saving face and stigma also lead to higher rates of HIV infection and a lack of knowledge about one’s HIV status. In addition to cultural challenges, many AAPIs in the United States experience economic and language barriers that contribute to discrimination and make HIV prevention, care, and treatment efforts even more challenging. We are working to address some of the factors that contribute to a culture of silence and to health disparities in AAPI communities. And we are using new tools and technologies to help reach those at greatest risk for, or living with, HIV/AIDS. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services continues to look for ways to bridge the difficulties that some AAPI individuals and communities have in accessing medical care. To that end, we recently issued enhanced National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health and Health Care (CLAS Standards), which guide health professionals and organizations in delivering culturally respectful and linguistically responsive care. The enhanced CLAS Standards recognize that health is influenced by many factors, and the standards now include race, ethnicity, language, spirituality, sexual orientation, and gender identity, among others, in the definition of “culture.” Culturally and linguistically competent health care providers can play a major role in helping AAPIs (and other racial/ethnic minorities) to understand the impact of HIV in their communities and to take appropriate actions to protect themselves and their partners from HIV infection. One of the first steps is to take an HIV test. You can find HIV testing services near you by using the AIDS.gov HIV Testing and Care Services Locator. Another step is to receive treatment for HIV disease, because people who are taking HIV medications are much less likely to pass the virus on to their partners. Known as “treatment as prevention,” it is a key element in stopping the spread of HIV. To ensure that treatment is available to everyone who needs it, we are also working to expand healthcare availability and options to AAPI populations. The Affordable Care Act [PDF] will help to get people at risk for, or living with, HIV/AIDS the preventive services and treatment they need and reduce health disparities in AAPI communities. For example, the Affordable Care Act has expanded coverage of free preventive care (including HIV screening and STD prevention counseling for adults at higher risk) to an estimated 3.8 million AAPIs with private insurance. These services will help those who are living with HIV (or an STD that can increase their risk for getting HIV) but don’t know it yet to learn their status and receive treatment if appropriate. And because of the health care law, millions of Americans will have the opportunity to get affordable, quality health coverage—including people living with HIV/AIDS, who have traditionally had great difficulty in obtaining health insurance. Beginning October 1, 2013, Americans will be able to shop for coverage that best fits their needs and budget in the new Health Insurance Marketplace. Coverage will begin as early as January 1, 2014. Sign up now for information at https://signup.healthcare.gov. Finally, the Department continues to broaden the use of technology and social media to reach populations at greatest risk for HIV. Studies show that English-speaking AAPIs have the highest rate of cell phone usage of any racial/ethnic group, and they are more likely to have wireless access than other groups. Under the guidance of the Digital Government Strategy, we are making it easier for everyone to find information on HIV prevention, testing, and treatment when they want it and on any device they choose. Given AAPI communities’ heavy use of mobile technologies, these efforts will provide particular benefits. As we celebrate the diversity and contributions of AAPIs this month, I encourage you to talk to your family members, friends, and colleagues about HIV and to share information with them about available resources. A great conversation-starter is the Banyan Tree Project’s Taking Root: Our Stories, Our Community video series, which chronicles the experiences of AAPI people who are living with HIV.

HIV Vaccine Awareness Day Bulletin

Fri, 17 May 2013 22:22:27 +0000

Editor's Note: This is a cross post from the aids.gov blog. You can find the original post here. The implementation of scientifically proven HIV prevention strategies is helping to reduce the number of new infections — the annual HIV infection rate globally fell by 22 percent from 2001 to 2011 — but a great deal more must be done. Significant scale-up of proven HIV prevention strategies coupled with the discovery of new HIV treatment and prevention interventions are needed to achieve an end to the global HIV/AIDS pandemic. A safe, effective and durable HIV vaccine is an essential cornerstone to the long-term strategy to achieve this goal. Developing a safe and effective HIV vaccine has been a long and difficult process largely because HIV has proven to be an especially tough target. Recent developments with the HVTN 505 clinical trial and analyses from the HVTN 503 “Phambili” vaccine study have been disappointing, but they also provided clear answers about investigational vaccine strategies that, ultimately, were not effective. Still, the new directions for HIV vaccines that have been recently initiated define our future path and will be pursued. Among many projects, scientists continue to explore findings from the RV 144 HIV vaccine study in Thailand, which, in 2009, provided proof-of-concept that an HIV vaccine can afford a modest level of protection. Ongoing research related to the Thai trial is providing important information about human immune responses and other factors that may explain why the investigational vaccine protected some trial volunteers from HIV infection but not others. Such data will help advance researchers’ understanding of HIV’s structure and vulnerabilities and help guide the development of future HIV vaccine candidates. Large-scale investigational vaccine clinical trials designed to build on the RV 144 results and create a more robust and durable level of protection are expected to begin in two-to-three years in South Africa. In basic research, scientists are making important discoveries about broadly neutralizing antibodies capable of disabling a wide range of HIV strains when tested in the laboratory setting. For example, NIAID scientists recently charted the co-evolution of HIV and a strong antibody response in an HIV-infected study participant, who is one of the 20 percent of HIV-infected individuals who naturally develops broadly neutralizing antibodies to the virus after several years of infection. Their findings could help identify which proteins to use in an investigational vaccine to induce broadly neutralizing antibodies more quickly. In another advance, a team of NIH scientists recently developed a new tool to identify broadly neutralizing antibodies from blood samples, which could help speed HIV vaccine research. Other interesting basic research findings have included the identification of a new HIV-suppressing protein, called CXCL4, in the blood of HIV-infected individuals. NIAID scientists found that CXCL4 binds to HIV in such a way that the virus cannot attach or enter a human cell, leading to the conclusion that it may serve to regulate viral replication in an infected individual and, therefore, control the pace at which HIV disease progresses. Additionally, NIAID researchers found that even though HIV diversifies widely in infected individuals over time, the virus strains that are passed on through heterosexual transmission often resemble the strain that originally infected the transmitting partner. Learning more about the characteristics of these dominant strains could help inform HIV vaccine design. Recent NIAID investments in basic research toward innovative HIV vaccine discovery researchand vaccine immunology and immunogen discovery should also prove fruitful in the coming years for HIV vaccine research. On this HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, NIAID thanks the thousands of men and women who have selflessly volunteered for clinical studies and the scientists and clinicians working to find an effective HIV vaccine. NIAID shares your commitment and will continue the important research needed to make a protective HIV vaccine a reality. Editor’s note: Please see our National HIV Vaccine Awareness Day video with Dr. Carl Dieffenbach from NIAID, NIH.

May 18th HIV Vaccine Awareness Day (HVAD): A Conversation with Dr. Carl Dieffenbach

Fri, 17 May 2013 19:05:31 +0000

Editor's Note: This is a cross post from the aids.gov blog. You can find the original post here. May 18th is HIV Vaccine Awareness Day (HVAD), led by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health. We spoke to Dr. Carl Dieffenbach at NIH, who had this to say about HIV Vaccine Awareness Day: “[On Vaccine Awareness Day] we can take a moment to acknowledge the study participants who have given their time, their energy, . . . to the study of HIV vaccines.” Watch the HIV Vaccine Awareness Day video to hear the rest of his comments and visit the HIV Vaccine Awareness Day website for resources to help community members support the day. To learn more about HIV/AIDS and the Federal response, including information on federally funded research, visit AIDS.gov. Miguel Gomez is Director of AIDS.gov, and Senior Communications Advisor, Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Eliminating Perinatal Transmission of Hepatitis B: More Than Just a Test

contact@aids.gov — Thu, 09 May 2013 16:00:00 +0000

May is Hepatitis Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about viral hepatitis and to highlight opportunities to address this ‘silent epidemic’.

White House to Host Baltimore Meeting

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:00:52 +0000

By Miguel Gomez, Director, AIDS.gov, and Senior Communications Advisor, Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

As we posted last week, the White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP) has been hosting a series of regional meetings to discuss implementation of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This blog post from Grant Colfax, ONAP Director, provides information on those meetings.

The next meeting will take place on Monday, April 29 in the auditorium at the Vollmer Center at Cylburn Arboretum , 4915 Greenspring Avenue, in Baltimore, Maryland. The session will run from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (EDT).

The meetings are free and open to the public, but if you wish to attend, you must RSVP by visiting: https://www.cmpinc.net/onap . Once you submit your RSVP, you will receive a detailed confirmation letter via e-mail. If you have questions about registration or other logistics, please contact Marjorie Burdetsky at mab@cmpinc.net.

Minority Health Determines the Health of the Nation

contact@aids.gov — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 16:00:00 +0000

April is National Minority Health Month, and one of the most important health issues for minorities that we can highlight for this month is HIV.

White House To Host a Meeting on the National HIV/AIDS Strategy and the Affordable Care Act in Baltimore

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:03:05 +0000

By AIDS.gov

On Monday, April 29, 2013, the White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP) will host the fourth in a series of regional meetings on the implementation of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS). That meeting will take place in the auditorium at the Vollmer Center at Cylburn Arboretum , 4915 Greenspring Avenue, in Baltimore, Maryland. The session will run from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (EDT).

This series of meetings is designed to promote awareness and understanding of local- and state-level efforts as they relate to the implementation of the NHAS and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The goal is to engage key stakeholders about ongoing challenges and successes of NHAS/ACA implementation.

This blog from the White House provides information on the previous implementation meetings.

Courage, Strength, Resilience: Women Fight AIDS

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 13:57:00 +0000

On Monday, I attended the launch of EMPOWERED, Alicia Keys’ new campaign with Greater than AIDS to reach and inform women about HIV/AIDS, at an event hosted by the Kaiser Family Foundation. This is the second event that Alicia Keys and I have attended at Kaiser within the last year, both focused on ending AIDS. The women were thrilled to meet Alicia Keys, and Alicia, who was deeply moved by their stories, committed to add her powerful international voice to helping to end the epidemic here in the U.S. Alicia and I intended to lift up the women. But really, it was their strength, courage, resilience, good spirit, and humor that lifted us up. The HIV crisis touches every corner of the globe. And it’s personally touched so many of us, including here at home. We all have tragic stories about how HIV/AIDS has affected our family and friends, and these stories propel us all to continue to fight to end this disease. Monday's event addressed one of the tragic realities of HIV in our country. The HIV epidemic continues in the United States, with about 50,000 new HIV infections each year. And while about one-quarter of new HIV infections are among women, three-quarters of new infections among women occur among black and Latina women. The rate of new HIV infections among African-American women is 20 times higher compared with white women; among Latinas, the rate is 4 times higher. There is no doubt: the statistics are sobering. Every part of society has a role to play in ending AIDS. On our end, President Obama has recognized the need for immediate action. Here are just a few of the steps we’ve already taken to defeat AIDS: First, President Obama released the nation’s first comprehensive National HIV/AIDS Strategy, a blueprint for how to make greater progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS, through reducing health disparities and improving health and wellness for everyone living with HIV. To this end, the President’s 2014 budget, which he released last week, includes over $23 billion to address HIV/AIDS in the United States, including an additional $10 million from 2012 for the Centers for Disease Control to provide critical prevention interventions. The budget also includes an additional $20 million for the Ryan White Program, named after a young man who fought discrimination and for his right to go to school, to increase access to life-extending care and treatment. For women specifically, thousands of women at risk for and living with HIV will benefit from the Affordable Care Act. Thanks to this law, millions of women now have access to preventative services, including HIV testing, without cost sharing. And starting next year, insurance companies are prohibited from charging women higher insurance premiums than men, or denying insurance for pre-existing conditions, including HIV infection. We are also addressing the fact that women who live with HIV are at greater risk of experiencing domestic violence or assault. We need holistic solutions. That’s why President Obama established a working group focusing on the intersection of HIV/AIDS, Violence against Women and Girls, and gender-related health disparities. Recently released national data included some good news– HIV infections among women dropped by 21% between 2008 and 2010, and we are hopeful that this trend continues. However, stigma and misconceptions continue to be significant drivers of HIV, keeping many from talking openly, using protection, getting tested, and starting and staying on treatment. At a government level, we continue to address HIV-related stigma as well, which we know is a tremendous barrier to women seeking care. For example, we are aggressively pursuing cases of alleged discrimination through the Department of Justice and the Department of Labor. In addition to the progress that the Obama Administration is making on a policy level, Monday's EMPOWERMENT launch by Alicia attests to the fact that all of us have the responsibility and ability to help end the disease. And that’s why Alicia’s campaign is so exciting. She knows that we can reach the end of HIV/AIDS—but a key part of getting there is recognizing the power women have to turn the epidemic around. It’s no accident that during this year’s State of the Union, in the same sentence in which the President spoke of reaching an AIDS-free generation, he spoke of empowering women. We can turn the corner on the AIDS epidemic, but we will only succeed if we embrace that power. Please learn more about EMPOWERMENT here.

FY 2014 Budget reflects the Administration’s Commitment to Implementing the National HIV/AIDS Strategy

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 21:30:25 +0000

Last week, the President sent Congress his budget for fiscal year 2014. The 2014 Budget highlights this Administration’s ongoing commitment to implementing the National HIV/AIDS Strategy. The Budget also aligns with the President’s commitment to achieving the goals of the Strategy by investing in evidence-based interventions, focusing efforts in populations most affected by HIV, and supporting vital research. The Budget is a comprehensive plan that reduces the deficit and puts the Nation on a sound fiscal course. By making strategic and science-based investments in Federal efforts to address the HIV epidemic, it will help the Nation meet the goals of the Strategy. For details on the President’s budget and HIV/AIDS, please visit the Office of Management and Budget's website. Grant Colfax, MD is the Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy.

AIDS United Announces $1 Million Investment in Grants to Help HIV-Positive People Stay in Care

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 18:51:17 +0000

Dr. Ronald Valdiserri

AIDS United , a national organization dedicated to ending the AIDS epidemic in the United States, recently announced $1 million in grants to seven organizations from diverse communities across the U.S. to help define and expand programs that help keep HIV-positive people in care and on treatment. The grants are part of a new $4 million multi-year Retention in Care Initiative supported by the MAC AIDS Fund .

“Over the next three years, our grantees will be developing innovative and intensive ways to work with people living with HIV/AIDS in their communities and ensure they are consistently retained in the life-saving care they need,” said Mr. Michael Kaplan, AIDS United President and CEO.

Retention in care is a critical part of the “treatment cascade”—the continuum of care from diagnosis of HIV infection and active linkage to care, to initiation of treatment and treatment adherence to achieve eventual viral suppression—meaning no detectable HIV in the blood.

Despite the significant advantages of early HIV diagnosis and treatment—both for people living with HIV infection as well as for community prevention efforts—substantial social and structural barriers often impede initial and continued access to care for people living with HIV. In fact, as discussed in prior posts, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [PDF 672KB] estimates that of the 1.1 million individuals living with HIV in the U.S., only 37% are retained in HIV care and only 25% reach the desired goal of viral suppression, which means that the virus is under control at a level that keeps people healthy and reduces the risk of transmitting the virus to others.

AIDS United made awards to programs serving highly marginalized, underserved populations at high risk for HIV infection and for dropping out of care. These include programs seeking to increase retention in HIV treatment among homeless and substance-using individuals in the Bronx, highly impoverished rural and urban African American men and women in Alabama, and transgendered individuals in Philadelphia.

“By supporting community-specific strategies to keep people in care, the Retention in Care Initiative helps advance two pillars of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy: optimizing health outcomes for people living with HIV/AIDS and reducing new [HIV] infections. By supporting programs that deal directly with the most marginalized, underserved people who are at the highest risk of infection, this partnership exemplifies our mission at the MAC AIDS Fund,” said Ms. Nancy Mahon, Esq., Executive Director of the MAC AIDS Fund (Ms. Mahon also serves as the Chair of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS).

This is a great example of the way many sectors of society are collaborating to pursue the priorities of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS). Efforts such as this will help ensure that people living with HIV (PLWH) have access to care, remain in care and on treatment and will increase the proportion of PLWH who achieve and maintain viral suppression which is critical to improving their health and realizing the full potential prevention benefits of treatment as well as achieving the goals of the NHAS. By concentrating on especially vulnerable populations, these programmatic efforts also help to reduce HIV-related disparities in diagnosis, treatment and care.

(This post is part of the ‘Strategy In Action’ series of occasional posts about how the NHAS is being implemented by non-federal partners in states and communities around the country.)

National Youth HIV + AIDS Awareness Day

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 19:52:24 +0000

Ed. Note: This is a cross post from AIDS.gov. You can find the original post here. At AIDS 2012, the international AIDS conference, youth advocates announced the inauguration of National Youth HIV + AIDS Awareness Day (NYHAAD) to be marked on April 10, 2013. In establishing this observance, Advocates for Youth and the eleven other founding partners are recognizing the key role of youth in our collective response to HIV. The organizers note that “the creation of National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day is a step toward addressing the needs of young people in the fight against HIV and AIDS.” On this day, AIDS.gov calls attention to previously published resources that can help inform discussion and action. These are: Vital Signs Report: HIV Infection, Testing, and Risk Behaviors Among Youths — United States On November 27, 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released data to highlight the impact of HIV among youth in the United States. Young people between the ages of 13 and 24 represent more than a quarter of new HIV infections each year (26 percent) and most of these youth living with HIV (60 percent) are unaware they are infected, according to the Vital Signs report. The most-affected young people are young gay and bisexual men and African-Americans, the report says. Among the recommendations in the report is that “all youth should know how HIV is transmitted and prevented, understand what puts them at risk for HIV, and be tested if they are at risk.” The National HIV/AIDS Strategy This is the nation's first-ever comprehensive coordinated HIV/AIDS roadmap with clear and measurable targets to be achieved by 2015. The Strategy notes that “To better educate the American people about HIV/AIDS, the following is needed: [3.2] Promote age-appropriate HIV and STI prevention education for all Americans: Too many Americans do not have the basic facts about HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Sustained and reinforcing education is needed to effectively encourage people across the age span to take steps to reduce their risk for infection.” How are you addressing the impact of HIV on youth? What would you like to say to the young people in your lives about youth and HIV? For more information on HIV and youth, visit this CDC page. For more information on NYHAAD click here.

HIV Prevention Resource Allocation Modeling Pilot (HIV RAMP)

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 20:05:29 +0000

By Oskian Kouzouian, ORISE Fellow, Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

The U.S. National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) calls on national, state and local programs to focus efforts in communities where HIV is concentrated and to target resources on tailored combinations of effective, evidence-based strategies. As jurisdictions work to apply these principles, some have employed resource allocation modeling to help inform their decision making about how best to utilize their available funds so as to maximize the number of new HIV infections averted. As noted in a recent article on the subject, “Resource allocation models can provide valuable guidance to the rational allocation of funds. Improving the use of funds by targeting areas of greatest return may lead to better and/or greater health outcomes.”

A pilot project to explore the feasibility of scaling-up of the use of such modeling is now underway with resources provided by the White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP). The HHS Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy (OHAIDP) is leading the one-year project in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CDC previously worked in partnership with Philadelphia’s Department of Public Health to develop and implement an HIV prevention resource allocation model to inform activities required under a CDC grant for Enhanced Comprehensive HIV Prevention Planning.

That model was developed to help Philadelphia’s health department leadership identify the optimal allocation of HIV prevention funds across populations and prevention interventions that would prevent the most new HIV infections. Using local demographic and HIV epidemiological data inputs, and based on calculations of the cost per new infection averted, the model recommended the optimal allocation of the jurisdiction’s HIV prevention budget among several evidence-based interventions for the populations most impacted. Feedback from Philadelphia indicated that the model’s outputs served as a very useful “roadmap” to inform decision making for HIV prevention resource allocation within the jurisdiction, informing both applications for federal funds as well as efforts to strengthen local HIV prevention activities.

The current project, HIV RAMP, involves refining and piloting the original Philadelphia model in three additional jurisdictions that have different local profiles and HIV prevalence rates (Chicago, Nebraska, and Alabama), testing a technical assistance (TA) protocol to support jurisdictions in using the model, and assessing the feasibility of a software or online version of the model that could be more broadly used by other health departments.

“Because making decisions about how to spend HIV prevention funding is never ‘black and white,’ health departments need tools to help them decide how to support the best combinations of effective, evidence-based prevention strategies in their communities,” said Dr. Ronald Valdiserri, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health and Director of OHAIDP. “Through this pilot project, we hope to develop a practical tool that can help communities apply the principles of the NHAS on the ground.”

As part of this pilot, OHAIDP convened a full-day consultation in January to obtain input and feedback from intended users as well as experts in information technology, public health, and capacity building. The participants were charged with helping to refine plans for further development of the HIV RAMP and to identify the potential types of technical assistance that would be needed to ensure the most effective, user-friendly end products. Among the feedback and recommendations shared were the following:

Move forward quickly. Participants generally concurred that the project had significant potential value and should move forward expeditiously so that findings can be widely shared.
Develop clear documentation. Participants recommended that very clear code books and user guides be developed, outlining the model’s operational assumptions.
Plan to engage community members throughout the process. Participants recommended that health departments participating in the pilot receive TA on engaging community stakeholders throughout the process, particularly those who will be involved in decision making based on the model outputs as well as implementing the resultant program efforts. They noted that such engagement will help to improve the acceptability of the results, which may involve reallocation of resources from the current state to the optimal state modeled.
Offer technical assistance about what happens once you have modeled. Participants recommended that TA extend beyond how to use the modeling tool, to include support in determining what to do with the model’s outputs. Suggested topics included: What stakeholders should be involved in interpreting what the outputs mean? How can jurisdictions assess the capacity of the community’s HIV workforce to implement the prioritized interventions?
Consider downstreaming local capacity to implement prioritized interventions. Participants raised concerns about local capacity to implement the model’s prioritized interventions, accessing the prioritized populations in an effective way, and implementing interventions to scale with the fidelity necessary to achieve the modeled effects. They suggested that assessing and planning to strengthen this capacity must be a key component of any TA offered to health departments.

Models help us sort through complicated questions and allow us to envision alternative scenarios. As this pilot unfolds in the coming months, we will continue to share progress highlights and lessons that may be of use to others.

CDC Expands Let’s Stop HIV Together Campaign™, Launches Spanish Version

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 18:25:12 +0000

By Nickolas DeLuca, Ph.D., Chief, Prevention Communication Branch, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

This month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expanded the national HIV awareness and anti-stigma campaign, Let’s Stop HIV Together™, including the launch of a Spanish-language version of the campaign, Detengamos Juntos el VIH™. The campaign now includes new participants, more materials in both Spanish and English, and HIV awareness and testing information in Spanish through the new website. Highlights of the expanded campaign include:

New Materials Available on Act Against AIDS Website

Campaign materials are available on the CDC’s Act Against AIDS website.

New English materials available on the campaign website include:

PSA for TV featuring Jamar Rogers from NBC’s The Voice
4 personal video stories
15 campaign posters
Brochure

New Spanish materials on the Spanish-language version of the Act Against AIDS website include:

Public Service Announcements (PSAs) for radio and TV
3 personal video stories
12 campaign posters
Brochure and palm card

Detengamos Juntos el VIH™ Activities in Local Areas

Campaign activities conducted with local health departments and community-based organizations are taking place in selected cities—Los Angeles and Miami initially. In these cities, a full range of advertising —outdoor, transit, online —will promote the new campaign. A Spanish-language PSA will also air on local TV and radio stations, and both Spanish and English PSAs will run nationwide.

How You Can Participate

There are a variety of ways that you can get involved in the campaign.

View the Let’s Stop HIV Together™/Detengamos Juntos el VIH™ digital stories on the Act Against AIDS website and share your thoughts.
Like the Act Against AIDS Facebook page , share or respond to our posts, and direct others to check out our page and our website.
Tweet about it. Spread the word about the campaign through Twitter by using the campaign hashtag #StopHIVTogether and by visiting us on the Act Against AIDS Twitter page @TalkHIV .
Make a Let’s Stop HIV Together™ ad and share it!
- The campaign Facebook app allows people to create their own Let’s Stop HIV Together™ ad and share it with their friends, giving anyone with a Facebook account a chance to participate in the campaign by starring in their own digital ad. You can share your ad via a wall post, a Facebook message, or an e-mail.
- Visit www.facebook.com/ActAgainstAIDS .
- Click on the “Create Your Own Ad” tab at the top of the page.
- Insert a photo and three words that describe you.
- Click “Save Ad” and share your ad with others!
- Download digital banner ads in English here and in Spanish here from our campaign website to add to your website.

Let’s Stop HIV Together™ launched in July 2012 and features people living with HIV and their loved ones or friends. The campaign raises awareness about the impact of HIV and reduces stigma by showing that people living with HIV are mothers, fathers, friends, partners, brothers, sisters, coworkers, sons, and daughters. People living with HIV are part of the fabric of our families and valued members of our communities. The campaign is a part of CDC’s Act Against AIDS initiative, which was launched by the White House, the Department of Health and Human Services, and CDC in 2009.

Implementing the National HIV/AIDS Strategy Across the United States

contact@aids.gov — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 16:00:00 +0000

To discuss the implementation of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy ONAP is convening community discussions across the United States.

Enhanced HIV/AIDS Information on Benefits.gov

contact@aids.gov — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Federal agencies recently completed a review and update to the HIV/AIDS information available on Benefits.gov.

Progress to Date: President’s Working Group on the Intersection of HIV/AIDS, Violence against Women and Girls, and Gender-Related Health Disparities

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 17:00:24 +0000

Violence is common in the lives of women and girls living with, and at risk for, HIV/AIDS, and the Obama Administration is working to address these intersecting issues. In March 2012, the President issued a Presidential Memorandum creating the “Intersection of HIV/AIDS, Violence against Women and Girls, and Gender-Related Health Disparities Working Group”. Sunday marks Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, and we are providing an update on the Working Group’s progress. As co-chairs, we are personally committed to this work, having first-hand community and clinical experience in seeing and treating the devastating effects violence has on the lives of women and their families. The Presidential Memorandum directed select Federal agencies to improve data collection, research, and intervention strategies related to the intersection of these issues and to improve cooperation between agencies and with external partners. During the past year, the Working Group looked at interagency coordination and the development of actionable, evidence-based recommendations. To assess current Federal efforts, members developed an inventory of programs for each agency that works in the intersection of HIV/AIDS, violence against women and girls, and health disparities. Identifying and analyzing research was also a priority and led to two research review sessions with members of the Working Group, academic and public health experts, and other key stakeholders. In addition, the Working Group hosted two community webinars and had an online submission process to obtain individual stories, experiences, and public comments. Both the webinars and the online submissions focused on answering questions that the Working Group was especially interested in understanding – specifically: To what extent is violence driving HIV infections and poor health outcomes among women living with HIV? What are barriers to reaching women and girls affected by HIV and violence? What further research is needed about how, where, and why violence and HIV intersect? What are model programs and promising practices for addressing the intersection of HIV/AIDS and violence against women and girls? How do we best treat HIV, address violence, and empower women who have experienced violence and other trauma? What are the best ways forward to prevent violence and HIV infection among women and girls? After collecting information and data from a variety of additional sources, the Working Group has now concentrated its efforts on several well-defined focus areas. The Working Group will explore how, within existing resources, to best address the intersection of HIV/AIDS, violence against women and girls, and gender-related health disparities by focusing on specific areas, including: Increasing outreach and education Integrating HIV testing and screening for violence in medical and other settings Improving care and treatment for women living with HIV who have experienced violence Identifying next steps for research Identifying interventions to evaluate or amplify Supporting steps to increase economic stability for vulnerable women and girls Increasing training/capacity building/technical assistance for providers As co-chairs of the Working Group, we are committed to achieving the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy and to taking the steps necessary to prevent and address violence among women and girls. The recent enactment of the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) reinforces the Administration’s commitment to this issue, establishing a foundation for sustainable action. We are proud of our progress to date—but we also know that we have more to do. We are grateful to our partners across the Federal government and those in the field who are working to protect women and girls at risk for violence and HIV. Together, we are committed to making a difference to women and girls, to their families, and to communities across the nation. You can learn more about National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day here. Lynn Rosenthal is the White House Advisor on Violence Against Women and Dr. Grant Colfax is Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy

Prevention and Treatment of HIV Infection in Infants Born to Infected Mothers: Need for a Fresh Look

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 19:43:33 +0000

On Monday, March 4, 2013, at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in Atlanta, Dr. Deborah Persaud of the Johns Hopkins University presented an intriguing case study of a child who by all measures seems to be cured of HIV infection. This single case has sparked significant conversation, debate, and optimism. There are important questions that have naturally arisen from this case and we hope to examine some of the aspects of the research agenda that now need to be pursued. While this is an exciting case, we want to stress that it remains very important for people living with HIV/AIDS to continue their medications and to see their healthcare providers on a regular basis. Certain of the facts are clear. An infant was born at a hospital in Mississippi to a woman unaware she was infected with HIV until she was already in labor. Having been born somewhat prematurely, the child was transferred to the University of Mississippi Medical Center, where the baby came under the experienced and skilled care of pediatrician Dr. Hannah Gay. Knowing that the mother was not previously treated for HIV infection (which put the infant at a high risk of becoming infected), Dr. Gay proceeded under the assumption that the infant had become infected. She started the infant on a three-drug cocktail of antiretroviral medications for HIV treatment, as opposed to the standard two-drug regimen for prophylaxis (prevention) of infection. Blood samples from the infant were repeatedly drawn, and lab results confirmed that the baby indeed had a detectable level of virus. Over the course of several weeks of treatment with antiretroviral drugs, the amount of virus in the child’s blood declined to undetectable levels. The child was discharged from the hospital on antiretroviral therapy that continued for up to 18 months, at which point the mother and child interrupted their medical care. Fast forward several months: the child reappeared in care after a significant lapse in antiretroviral therapy. Surprisingly, the child had no detectable circulating virus, no detectable anti-HIV antibodies, and was clinically healthy. Dr. Gay then reached out to Dr. Persaud and Dr. Katherine Luzuriaga of the University of Massachusetts to perform laboratory studies to help understand what had happened with this toddler. Several aspects of how this case was dealt with stand out. First, the potential importance of this case was recognized immediately and some of the best laboratories in the world were brought in to help validate the laboratory data. Investigators with long-standing working relationships, some established a decade or more ago, collaborated on state-of-the-art analyses of specimens. The results from all the laboratory studies confirmed that there was no ongoing HIV replication in this child; all that apparently remained was miniscule snippets of viral material. This case study has touched off vigorous discussions, with both agreements and disagreements about key questions -- a healthy and important part of the scientific process. For example, questions have arisen whether the child was ever truly infected in the first place, or was the virus detected in the blood stream of the infant soon after birth actually virus that was passed from the mother during pregnancy or during birth? Was the observed result due to the early treatment within 30 hours of birth, or was there something important about the intensity of the antiretroviral treatment or even some characteristic of the infant’s immature immune system? It is essential that critically important questions are raised and ultimately addressed. This is a report of a single case, and as scientists, our goal is to confirm or refute research findings, and through this process, we also seek to fill in the missing details. There are several immediately obvious lines of research that will be pursued. First, we will work to better understand the relationship and/or difference between the virus passed to an infant from the mother and the virus produced by an infant’s infected cells during the early hours and days following exposure. Second, assuming that the immediate treatment of infants at high risk for infection could result in a possible “cure” of a truly infected infant, the risk-to-benefit ratio of starting very early 3-drug treatment (rather than 2-drug prophylaxis) for babies born under such conditions is now altered and must be discussed and possibly reconsidered. In addition, studies need to be designed and implemented to investigate the questions of timing and duration of pediatric antiretroviral treatment. In this regard, we need to examine existing cohorts of children who years ago were truly infected (or were assumed to be infected) and were treated not within hours of detection of virus but within weeks to months to determine if such cases had similar outcomes to the Mississippi child and can shed light on the timing and intensity of starting therapy. To this end, the team led by Drs. Persaud and Luzuriaga presented information at CROI on five additional children who had been perinatally infected and started antiretroviral therapy at a median of 2 months after birth. Encouragingly, in these children long-term control of HIV replication following early antiretroviral treatment has resulted in extremely low levels of virus and diminished anti-HIV immune responses. Of course, as part of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, as we move forward with our research agenda we must engage in serious discussions on the criteria, risks and ethics involved in all our studies, including the idea of stopping antiretroviral therapy in individuals who may be “cured. As physicians and scientists, we must first do no harm as we seek ways to improve the health of the nation and world through biomedical research. Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. is the Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health. Carl W. Dieffenbach, Ph.D., is the Director of the Division of AIDS, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The Role of Science in Helping Achieve the Vision of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 15:45:20 +0000

Ed. note: This is cross-posted from blog.aids.gov While at the 2013 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) this week, I was pleased to sit down with Dr. Grant Colfax, Director of the White House Office of National HIV/AIDS Policy. We discussed the role science plays in helping us achieve the vision of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy as well as some of the important findings being announced at CROI 2013 including a focus on the treatment cascade and research on next generation treatments and prevention methods. Watch our conversation below. To read abstracts from presentations or view presentations on the topics they discussed, visit the conference website. Ronald Valdiserri, M.D., M.P.H., is Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, Infectious Diseases, and Director of the Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

In Memoriam: C. Everett Koop

contact@aids.gov — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 16:00:00 +0000

The public health world, especially those of us who work in the HIV/AIDS arena, mourn the passing of former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop.

Justice Department Settles Three HIV Discrimination Cases

contact@aids.gov — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 16:00:00 +0000

As part of its Barrier-Free Health Care Initiative, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has recently reached three settlements addressing HIV discrimination by medical providers.

Addressing HIV in the Black Community

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 20:45:17 +0000

Ed. note: This was cross-posted from The Root. Yesterday, on Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, I had the pleasure of meeting with leaders who are doing outstanding work to prevent new HIV infections and improve health outcomes for African-Americans. We shared stories and discussed the importance of engaging everyone in these efforts, including faith leaders, educators, athletes, entertainers, artists, scientists, healthcare providers as well as friends, families, and neighbors. This approach also reflects the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, which calls for a collective response to the ongoing domestic epidemic, and sets specific goals with regard to addressing HIV-related disparities among African-Americans. Our conversation was both sobering and inspiring. Sobering because of the challenges that remain in addressing the epidemic, including confronting the myths about HIV transmission and the virus itself. Inspiring because during our dialogue it became clear that these leaders are committed to breaking down barriers that impede our progress in preventing and treating HIV/AIDS. Data highlight the urgency of this work. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1.1 million people in the United States are living with HIV/AIDS and nearly 50,000 people become infected with HIV each year. In 2010, African-Americans accounted for only 14% of the U.S. population, but 44% of new HIV infections. The majority (70%) of new HIV infections among African-Americans occur among black men, and are concentrated among gay men. In fact, young black gay and bisexual men who are the only group in the black community where new HIV infections are increasing. Black women represent 30% of new infections among African-Americans. Transgender black women are also at risk for HIV with as many as one in three in some studies diagnosed with HIV. And only 21% of black Americans have a suppressed viral load, the key health marker for HIV treatment. Conclusive research shows that African-Americans do not engage in riskier HIV behaviors than other Americans. So why are HIV rates so high in our communities? One main reason is the lack of access to healthcare. As many as 22% of African-Americans with HIV do not know that they have the virus. Of new infections among youth, 60% are among black youth, and over half of all HIV positive youth were unaware of their infection. Despite the sobering statistics, the group was optimistic about meeting the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy. Significant advances have been made in HIV prevention and treatment – getting tested is easier than ever before, and medications have extended the lives of tens of thousands of people living with HIV. In addition, the Affordable Care Act is dramatically expanding coverage of HIV prevention services and medical care for African-Americans – in 2014, seven million uninsured African-Americans, including thousands living with HIV, will have access to healthcare coverage. Already, the Affordable Care Act has extended coverage to thousands of young adults, and has increased access to HIV testing for millions of women without cost sharing. And because of the law, insurers can also no longer turn someone away just because he or she is lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. We also discussed the ongoing importance of continuing the Ryan White Program, which provides vital care and treatment for people living with HIV who would not otherwise have access to comprehensive care. Participants also pointed out that we must address more upstream issues, including increasing education and economic opportunity for all Americans, to turn the tide permanently against HIV. They stressed the importance of addressing homophobia, empowerment of women and girls, and HIV-related discrimination in the broader context of our everyday lives. We still have much work to do. Too many people have been affected and we must continue to drive our efforts forward to build healthier communities and reduce HIV-related disparities. As the day’s theme, “I Am My Brother/Sister’s Keeper,” attests, it will take the nation’s collective efforts, including on-the-ground grassroots advocacy, to reach an AIDS-free generation for all Americans. After our inspiring discussion yesterday, I am more hopeful than ever that we can reach that goal. To read the Twitter chat Russell Simmons and I had yesterday on HIV/AIDS, please visit here. For more information, please visit aids.gov.

White House Hosts Series of Meetings on the National HIV/AIDS Strategy and the Affordable Care Act

contact@aids.gov — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 16:00:00 +0000

The White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP) is hosting a series of regional meetings on the implementation of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS).

Highlights of HHS Activities Addressing HIV/AIDS in the African American Community

contact@aids.gov — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 16:00:00 +0000

In support of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, we highlight several initiatives the Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy (OHAIDP) oversees to specifically address HIV among African Americans.

HHS Releases Inventory of Initiatives and Prevention Programs Aimed at Reducing HIV Infections among African Americans

contact@aids.gov — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 16:00:00 +0000

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently released a report describing findings of an interagency collaboration to identify, review, and assess the effectiveness of HHS-funded, discretionary initiatives and programs to reduce HIV infections among African Americans. The report describes relevant prevention programs and initiatives, identifies future opportunities, and provides insights that will help inform strategies to reduce HIV infections among vulnerable African-American populations

Family Planning Providers Key in Fight Against HIV

contact@aids.gov — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Title X Family Planning Program provides HIV/AIDS prevention education on HIV risks, infection prevention, and HIV testing.

We Want to Hear from You

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 20:49:15 +0000

As we commemorated World AIDS Day earlier this month, the importance of addressing the needs of women and girls as part of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy was clear. While we have made tremendous progress in learning how to prevent and treat HIV, including among women and girls, much work remains. Of the approximately 1.1 million people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States, about 290,000 are women and women account for 23 percent of new HIV infections. This Administration has made combating the HIV/AIDS epidemic a priority. For women, that includes addressing gender-based violence and gender related health disparities. This violence can increase the risks women and girls face of acquiring HIV while decreasing their ability to seek prevention, treatment, and health services. As directed by the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, federal agencies are collaborating and coordinating in an unprecedented manner to decrease new HIV/AIDS infections, improve HIV-related outcomes, and reduce HIV-related disparities. To continue this collaborative approach, President Obama issued a Presidential Memorandum in March 2012, establishing an interagency working group on the intersection of HIV/AIDS, violence against women and girls, and gender-related health disparities. The working group includes representatives from the Departments of Justice, Interior, Health and Human Services, Education, Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, and the Office of Management and Budget. We are also tapping into the wealth of expertise and experience of members of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS as well as our global Federal partners from the Department of State, the United States Agency for International Development, and the Gender Technical Working Group from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The interagency group is charged with developing recommendations that focus on increasing public awareness of the intersection of HIV/AIDS, violence against women and girls, and gender related health disparities; sharing best practices and gender specific strategies aimed at addressing women’s risks and vulnerability to HIV/AIDS and violence; and prioritizing the needs of women of color who make up the majority of women living with and at risk of HIV infection in the United States. Since June 2012, working group members have met regularly to pursue this mission of interagency coordination and the development of recommendations. We believe that it is critical to obtain input from as many stakeholders as possible regarding the issues the working group is addressing. So we want to hear from you. From December 20, 2012 to January 20, 2013 you will be able to submit your individual stories, experiences, and comments to the working group by completing this online form. While we welcome any comments salient to the issue, we also ask that you consider the following questions: 1) How can we best address both violence and HIV among women and girls? 2) What are model programs and promising practices in addressing the intersection of HIV/AIDS and violence against women and girls? 3) What are barriers to reaching women and girls affected by HIV and violence? 4) What are the most effective strategies to reach women and girls who are living with violence and with HIV? We would appreciate if you could keep you submission to under 500 words. We are extremely grateful for your input. Your experiences and recommendations will inform our work, and we will be sure to keep you informed as we move forward. Dr. Grant Colfax is Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy and Lynn Rosenthal is the White House Advisor on Violence Against Women.