Category Archives: News

June 27, 2024 – Today, CHIPTS joins partners across the U.S. in observing National HIV Testing Day (#HIVTestingDay), a day to highlight the importance of getting tested for HIV and linked to HIV prevention and treatment options.

This year’s theme is “level up your self-love: check your status,” emphasizing the need to honor and value your health by knowing your HIV status so you can choose options to stay healthy. With about 13% of people with HIV in the United States unaware of their HIV status, individuals need to feel empowered to get tested for HIV.

People who receive a negative test result can take advantage of tools such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), condoms, and other sexual health services to prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. People who receive a positive test result can start HIV treatment to manage their HIV infection and stay healthy. Talk to your healthcare provider, use the HIV Testing Sites & Care Services Locator, or explore self-testing to choose the HIV testing option that is right for you.

As an AIDS Research Center, CHIPTS is excited to share recent research from our Center scientists that can inform community and public health efforts to improve HIV testing and prevention strategies:

Factors associated with lifetime HIV testing among women in four Southeast Asian countries: Evidence from the demographic and health surveys

Point-of-Care Sexually Transmitted Infection Testing Improves HIV Preexposure Prophylaxis Initiation in Pregnant Women in Antenatal Care in Cape Town, South Africa, 2019 to 2021

Factors associated with HIV testing and treatment among young Black MSM and trans women in three jail systems

Characteristics of Received HIV Prevention Advocacy from Persons Living with HIV in Uganda, and Associations with HIV Testing and Condom Use Among Social Network Members

This content originally appeared on HHS Press Office. View the full article here.

After raising the progress Pride Flag outside of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) headquarters, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and other HHS leaders from across the Department released the following statements to celebrate Pride Month:

Xavier Becerra – HHS Secretary

“Each year during Pride Month we celebrate the LGTBQI+ leaders, activists, and trailblazers, including those who have helped to improve the health of our nation over the past two centuries. We all are freer because of people like Marsha P. Johnson, Dr. Sara Josephine Baker, and Dr. John Ercel Fryer.

Across the Biden-Harris Administration, we have a new generation of changemakers – Admiral Levine, Secretary Buttigieg, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, and all of our LGBTQI+ staff – focused on shaping a more equitable and inclusive future.

HHS works every day to build an America where LGBTQI+ Americans have access to quality, affordable health care and can go to the doctor without fear of stigma or discrimination. Where the state you live in doesn’t determine whether you can access lifesaving, gender-affirming care. And where more communities embrace the diversity that has always strengthened our national character.

We have made tremendous progress but know there is much work still to be done. We will keep fighting for a future that doesn’t define being who you are as courageous.”

Andrea Palm – HHS Deputy Secretary

“HHS is doing the work to make sure the LGBTQI+ community has the same access to care and resources as all Americans, during Pride month, and all year long.

We work hard to advance key policies and programs that help make sure everyone feels safe and seen – at work, at school, and in their doctor’s office. We’ve affirmed civil rights and equal opportunity in HHS funded programs and services, engaged and listened to transgender youth and their families, and created specialized support for LGBTQI+ youth on the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

We remain committed to elevating voices from the LGBTQI+ community and celebrating the LGBTQI+ leaders throughout history, across the country, and within our own HHS family who are opening new doors and creating healthier futures.”

Jeff Hild – Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Children and Families (ACF) and Acting Assistant Secretary for Children and Families

“ACF is proud to celebrate and support LGBTQI2S+ children, youth, parents, and families. We affirm this support by taking action, including through a strengthening regulation to ensure safe foster care placements for LGBTQI2S+ young people.  We say to LGBTQI2S+ children, the parents who love and support them, and LGBTQI2S+ parents and young adults: thank you for being you, we are with you, and we will continue to provide services and supports for you to be safe, healthy, and have every opportunity to thrive.”

Alison Barkoff – Senior official performing the duties of the Administration for Community Living Administrator and the Assistant Secretary for Aging (ACL)

“The LGBTQI+ community includes people of all ages, with and without disabilities. During Pride Month, the Administration for Community Living celebrates that diversity and reaffirms our commitment to ensuring that our programs respect the identities and culture of each person they serve, and that all older adults and disabled people are welcomed. Sexual orientation and gender identity should never be barriers to getting the services and supports a person needs to thrive in the community.”

Renee Wegrzyn, Ph.D. – Director, Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H)

“Pride Month is a time to honor and celebrate the courage, resilience, and progress of LGBTQI+ individuals throughout history. It also serves as a reminder that we must continue to strive for a world where everyone—regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression—can live freely and without fear of discrimination. At ARPA-H, we are creating a culture that promotes diversity, accessibility, and inclusion in all aspects of our work and driving innovation in health and technology to better serve and support all Americans, including the LGBTQI+ community. Let us celebrate Pride Month with open hearts and minds and a renewed dedication to building a world where love, acceptance, and cutting-edge advancements in health and technology prevail.”

Dawn O’Connell – Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR)

“ASPR is committed to ensuring that inclusion and equity are woven throughout every aspect of our nation’s preparedness and response efforts. ASPR’s close partnership with the LGBTQI+ community reflect this commitment. Pride month is an opportunity to stand with our LGBTQI+ partners and reaffirm our dedication to supporting their needs in times of a public health emergency or disaster response.”

Mandy Cohen, M.D.– Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

“During Pride Month, we honor the contributions of the LGBTQI+ community to public health. CDC is dedicated to addressing health disparities affecting LGBTQI+ individuals to ensure access to vital health services for all. Fostering supportive and inclusive communities is critical to wellbeing, and the CDC remains committed to supporting the health of our diverse communities through data, expertise, and investments.”

Chiquita Brooks-LaSure – Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

“At CMS, high-quality health care for LGBTQI+ people is part of the vision now and for future generations. All who rely on coverage through Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP, and the Marketplaces deserve fair, comprehensive coverage, regardless of sexual orientation or gender expression. In recognition of Pride Month, we stand with the LGBTQI+ community and continue to partner to make health care a right for all.”

Robert M. Califf, M.D. – Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

“Pride Month is an opportunity for all of us to demonstrate how proud we are to stand with the LGBTQIA+ community, who are persevering through an ongoing struggle for equality and justice. Through the FDA lens, ensuring people from diverse populations, including the LGBTQIA+ community join clinical trials is key to advancing health equity. FDA-approved medical products must work for all populations as they are intended, and widening the lens of clinical research volunteers will provide essential information to meet this goal.”

Roselyn Tso – Director, Indian Health Service (IHS)

“Indian Country has a rich history of recognizing the unique value of each and every member of our communities. For time immemorial, our traditions have taught us to lift up the contributions that our Two Spirit and LGBTQI+ relatives bring to our nations every day. As director of the Indian Health Service, it is an honor to uphold these ways. IHS remains ever-committed to doing all we can to ensure Two Spirit and LGBTQI+ Indigenous people have access to the highest quality health care in safe, welcoming, and comfortable environments. Across the agency, we endeavor to build the policies, protocols, opportunities, and partnerships necessary to ensure that Two Spirit and LGBTQI+ Indigenous people are respected, protected, and provided with the care they deserve.”

Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, Ph.D. – Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use (SAMHSA)

“Pride Month serves dual purposes: to celebrate LGBTQI+ joy in living open, authentic lives, and to commemorate historic and ongoing struggles that make doing so possible. A higher prevalence of substance use and mental health issues has been well documented among people who identify as LGBTQI+. SAMHSA is committed to eliminating health inequities experienced by the LGBTQI+ community through efforts such as the LGBTQI+ Family Support grant program, 988 LGBTQI+ specialized services for youth and young adults, and technical assistance and training through the Center of Excellence on LGBTQI+ Health Equity.”

Melanie Fontes Rainer – Director, HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR)

“This Pride Month, I am reflecting on the stories I have heard from LGBTQI+ communities across the country: the parents who had to relocate – leaving their homes, friends, and lives – for their children’s safety and health, the parents who cannot afford to leave their communities and are subjected to harassment daily for loving their kids, our trans and nonbinary siblings who feel the stress and carry the burden perpetuated by hateful rhetoric and laws, and the advocates and communities nationwide who show up, stand up and fight for equality. This devasting reality is why I am proud to work in an Administration that is fighting this battle on all fronts—to protect health care. We are proud to celebrate the vibrancy and the strength of the LGBTQI+ community that reflects the fundamental values of America. We will continue to safeguard civil rights protections for every person regardless of who they are or who they love.”

Monica Bertagnolli, M.D. – Director, National Institutes of Health (NIH)

“This Pride Month, NIH is proud of the work being done across the agency to cultivate inclusion in clinical trials and other health research that is representative of sexual and gender diverse communities. This work is vital to advance the knowledge base in SGM health and optimize health outcomes for all LGBTQI+ Americans.”

Admiral Rachel Levine, M.D. – Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH)

“Pride reminds us that we are a strong, resilient, and powerful community that fights hate with love. As we celebrate Pride Month, we should recognize how far we have come, even as we take stock of the challenges that we face. Everything we do at HHS emphasizes health equity and this pride month, we are making a focused effort to address and eliminate the health disparities within the LGBTQI+ community. We are focused on our efforts to end the HIV epidemic in the US, prevent syphilis and congenital syphilis, and promote access to care for LGBTQI+ people across America. Together, we can work to support healthy people, healthy communities, and a healthy nation for all. I am a positive and optimistic person, and I believe that working together, we can create a healthier, better future for all people living in the United States.”

Vivek Murthy, M.D. – U.S. Surgeon General

“This Pride Month, I want everyone to know they are seen, they are valued, and they belong. Every day, I am inspired by the strength and courage LGBTQI+ youth demonstrate across the country – and I proudly stand by them in their quest to end discrimination.”

Samuel R. Bagenstos – HHS General Counsel (OGC)

“This year’s Pride Month offers us the opportunity to reflect on just how much the LGBTQI+ movement has achieved, and on the continuing threats to equal treatment and full inclusion of LGBTQI+ individuals in our community. The Office of the General Counsel is proud to support the Department’s efforts to defend and advance the civil rights of LGBTQI+ people at this important point in our history.”

Loyce Pace – Assistant Secretary for Global Affairs (OGA)

“As we celebrate Pride Month, we honor the strength, resilience, and contributions of the LGBTQ+ community worldwide. Ensuring that every individual, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, has access to the health services they need and deserve is central to our work.

The Office of Global Affairs recognizes that health equity is a fundamental human right. Our commitment to fostering a world where everyone, including LGBTQ+ individuals, can thrive in good health is unwavering. This dedication is essential for sustainable development and global well-being.”

Robert Otto Valdez, Ph.D., M.H.S.A. – Director, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

“During Pride Month, we recognize the contributions the LGBTQ+ community has made on all aspects of American life and reaffirm the right of all people to live with liberty and dignity. At AHRQ, we also renew our commitment to helping create safe and inclusive health care settings where LGBTQ+ patients receive high quality care that is person-centered, safe, timely, and effective.”

Carole Johnson – Administrator, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)

“This Pride Month, HRSA continues to proudly stand with the LGBTQI+ community, ensuring access to quality health care and supportive services through HRSA’s Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, HRSA-supported community health centers, and other programs. Together, we continue to advance health equity and promote the well-being of the LGBTQI+ community.”

Micky Tripathi, Ph.D. – National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC)

“Accurate data collection is critical to more fully understanding and addressing the health inequities that persist in our nation’ communities – which includes the LGBTQI+ community. That’s why the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT is continually advancing data standards, such as meaning, context, and expected use of sexual orientation and gender identity, to support users’ abilities to identify, assess, and analyze gaps in care, leading to better patient care, experiences and ultimately, health outcomes.”

Jeff Nesbit – Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (ASPA)

“During Pride Month and throughout the year, let us thank the LGBTQI+ doctors, nurses, caregivers, researchers, and scientists who keep our communities healthy and strong. Here at HHS, we honor them through our work to expand access to care, stand up to discrimination, and connect people with critical health information.

Members of the LGBTQI+ community are some of the greatest authors of our long American story of progress. Today, we celebrate them and the historic advancements they’ve penned for our country’s health and wellbeing.”

Bertha Alisia Guerrero – Director, Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs (IEA)

“Today and every day, we honor the resilience of the LGBTQI+ community. We celebrate the progress we have made together alongside our partners, while acknowledging the work that still lies ahead. At IEA, we stand in solidity with the LGBTQI+ community, families and allies, as we renew our shared commitment to dismantling barriers to health care, ensuring health equity and championing a future where every LGBTQI+ person is free to be who they are without fear.”

Melanie Egorin – Assistant Secretary for Legislation (ASL)

“During this Pride Month and every month, we continue to work with the Department divisions, Congress, and all our partners to ensure equitable, meaningful, and inclusive access to quality health care, life saving innovation, and important human services without fear of stigma or discrimination. We share the Biden-Harris Administration goal of reducing barriers to care for all Americans.”

Cheryl Campbell – Assistant Secretary for Administration (ASA)

“During Pride Month, we celebrate the vibrant and resilient LGBTQI+ community and reaffirm our commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) as cornerstones of our mission at HHS. Our work is driven by the belief that everyone deserves access to quality healthcare and the freedom to live their true, authentic lives without fear of discrimination. As Bayard Rustin once said, ‘We are all one. And if we don’t know it, we will learn it the hard way.’ Let us honor his legacy by ensuring that HHS—recognized as one of the Best Places to Work—is where justice, equality, and acceptance prevail, demonstrating through our actions that love and fairness are the norms.

By embracing diversity and fostering an inclusive environment, we are not just supporting individuals—we are strengthening the very fabric of our society. Let us continue to stand together, championing equality and justice and creating a future where every voice is heard, every person is valued, and everyone can thrive.

In Audre Lorde’s powerful words, ‘It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.’ At HHS, we are steadfast in our commitment to celebrating our differences and creating a culture where everyone feels valued and included.”

Rebecca Haffajee, Ph.D., Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE)

“Pride Month is an opportunity to celebrate LGBTQI+ communities and appreciate the rich diversity of our nation. In ASPE, we highly value and prioritize inclusion and equity in our workforce and in the research and evaluations we pursue – ultimately aiming to improve the health and well-being of every person in our country, including LGBTQI+ individuals.”

SOGI Data Action Plan: One Year Impact Brief – PDF (PDF, 492KB): HHS released a brief about the Department’s efforts to incorporate LGBTQI+ populations in HHS surveys and data collection efforts one year after the launch of its Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Data Action Plan approved by Secretary Xavier Becerra in June 2023. This is an important step in improv­ing understanding of this community, promoting data-based policymaking, and addressing health equity broadly. All divisions of HHS have reviewed their data instruments and initiated determinations and have started incorporating SOGI data measures where possible. Examples of data instruments that have incorporated or improved SOGI data measures in response to the plan include Affordable Care Act Marketplace and Medicare enrollment applications, CDC STI epidemiological surveys, and national substance use and mental health surveys.

CDC Fact Sheet on ACESs among LGBTQI+ Young People – PDF (PDF, 499KB): HHS also released a new CDC factsheet to highlight what we know about adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among LGBTQI+ young people.  It defines ACEs, describes the burden of ACEs among people who identify as LGBTQI+, and shows the types of ACEs young people who identify as LGBTQI+ are more likely to experience than people who identify as heterosexual and whose gender matches sex at birth. This factsheet also outlines the science behind experiencing interpersonal discrimination, including discrimination due to sexual and gender identity, and how this experience is an ACE. The factsheet describes how ACEs can be prevented for all people, including those who identify as LBGTQI+ and includes links to several evidence-based CDC resources that can help prevent ACEs and promote positive childhood experiences.

To View HHS LGBTQI+ Fact Sheet, click here – PDF

This content originally appeared on HIV.Gov. View the full article here.

Partners across the 57 prioritized jurisdictions implementing the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. (EHE) initiative are taking many innovative approaches to activities under the initiative’s Diagnose pillar. These include providing HIV testing in a local jail system and bringing HIV and other syndemic-related services to communities via a mobile clinic. As the initiative’s fifth year continues, members of the HHS Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy’s (OIDP) EHE and Engagement Teams have been hearing more about testing activities in several jurisdictions. Below are just a few of the innovative Diagnose pillar activities they have learned about that may be useful models for other jurisdictions to adapt.

Parkland Health Increases HIV Testing and Diagnoses in Dallas County’s Jail System

Parkland Health, a public hospital and clinic system and a partner in Dallas County’s (Texas) EHE plan, provides regular opt-out HIV testing for all individuals entering the Lew Sterrett Justice Center, Dallas County’s jail. This year, the jail is expected to conduct more than 12,000 tests. In addition, Parkland Health’s group sexual health classes and educational podcasts have contributed to increased HIV and STI testing during incarceration. In the jail, there have been 150 diagnoses per year for the past two years, a significant increase compared to the 60 per year in previous years. In addition to its work in the county jail, Parkland also facilitates swift linkage to HIV care for patients at the time of diagnosis regardless of how they enter the health system. A team of healthcare providers, case managers, peer navigators, financial counselors, and medication access specialists collaborates with patients to provide personalized care and ensure access to treatment and program retention. Currently, Parkland serves more than 6,300 people with HIV.

Mobile Clinic Brings HIV Testing, Other Services to Tribal Communities in San Diego County

The Southern Indian Health Council (SIHC), a recipient of an Ending the HIV/HCV/STI Epidemic in Indian Country cooperative agreement, is a Federally Qualified Health Center in southeastern San Diego County, California. SIHC serves a Tribal Consortium comprised of seven American Indian tribes. With EHE funds provided by the Indian Health Service, SIHC has launched a mobile health clinic called Room 2 Roam (R2R), which offers syndemic-related care to roughly 2,000 people living within the rural SIHC reservation lands. The services provided include rapid testing for HIV, HCV, and syphilis, as well as COVID-19 and flu vaccines and blood pressure checks. Each visit takes roughly 20 minutes, and while individuals wait for their test results, a registered nurse provides education on harm reduction, HIV PrEP and PEP, and doxy PEP for sexually transmitted infections. Additionally, community health representatives at the mobile clinic help people check-in and provide education on the available services. The community health representatives have also expressed interest in learning how to provide rapid point-of-care HIV tests to expand capacity.

Incentives are used to drive testing efforts, and word about R2R has spread throughout the community. One community member receiving services remarked, “I haven’t been tested for HIV or syphilis in 21 years until today, but now I know my status.” Another observed, “It’s a lot easier to come here and get tested than at the clinic.” R2R soon will be adding penicillin injections for syphilis treatment, with the ability to treat individuals immediately following a rapid syphilis test, and multi-site gonorrhea and chlamydia testing with the addition of a portable restroom that will support self-sample collection.

The EHE Initiative

The activities discussed in this post are just three examples of the many innovative approaches being taken by partners working in each of the 57 prioritized jurisdictions to scale up four science-based strategies: diagnose, treat, prevent, and respond. The jurisdictions receive additional funding and technical assistance from CDC’s Division of HIV Prevention, HRSA’s Health Center Program and Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program to implement locally tailored plans to reduce new HIV transmissions by 90% by 2030. NIH and IHS also support complementary activities. OIDP supports these efforts through community engagement and information sharing by its EHE and Engagement Teams, as well as by sharing information on HIV.gov and managing the AHEAD Dashboard. To learn more about the EHE initiative, visit HIV.gov’s EHE section. Read more about OIDP’s Engagement Team.

CHIPTS is excited to share funding opportunity announcements for the 2024 HIV Global Public Health Travel Fellowship program and the 2025 Mentored Pilot Grant Program. These opportunities are designed to prompt new science and support research among emerging investigators. We encourage applications expressing interest in HIV prevention, substance use, and/or mental health services. Learn more about each program below.

2025 Mentored Pilot Grant Program

The pilot grant for emerging and new investigators (ranging from doctoral students to assistant professors) provides mentorship from engaged and committed faculty mentors/sponsors on a well-defined research project that can last up to 12 months. The successful completion of the proposed mentored research project is expected to enhance emerging and new investigators’ potential to develop into productive, independent research scientists. Applicants are encouraged to submit proposals of innovative and transformative domestic and international social, behavioral, policy, and combination prevention pilot studies that will produce data and experiences that will support future funded grants and career development.

Application Deadline: Monday, July 29, 2024 by 5pm PT

Funds Deadline: Saturday, November 1, 2025

Visit the CHIPTS Mentored Pilot Grant Program page to learn more about submission requirements. We also invite you to review the full 2025 CHIPTS Mentored Pilot Grant – Call for Applications.

Questions about the program or requests for assistance in identifying a CHIPTS faculty mentor can be directed to:

• Norweeta Milburn, PhD, Director of CHIPTS Development Core: nmilburn@mednet.ucla.edu
• Dallas Swendeman, PhD, MPH, Co-Director of CHIPTS Development Core: dswendeman@mednet.ucla.edu

The application packet should be submitted via email to Damilola Jolayemi: OJolayemi@mednet.ucla.edu.

2024 HIV Global Public Health Travel Fellowship

The fellowship program is designed to support researchers to develop research opportunities either in a new global setting or to reinvigorate global health collaborations and research that have not been active for at least 2 years. Applicants who have a strong commitment and interest in doing research addressing the intersection of HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention and mental health and/or substance use co-morbidities in global settings are highly encouraged to apply. The purpose is to provide researchers with opportunities to observe and learn new research approaches and methods, experience implementation science in a different cultural context, and stimulate new research activities in a global setting.

Application Deadline: Applications are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis until Friday, August 30, 2024.

Funds Deadline: All travel funded by the Fellowship must be completed by Thursday, October 31, 2024.

Visit the CHIPTS HIV Global Public Health Travel Fellowship page to learn more about submission requirements. We also invite you to review the full CHIPTS HIV Global Public Health Travel Fellowship 2024 – Call for Applications.

The application packet should be submitted via email to Pamina Gorbach, DrPH, MHS, CHIPTS HIV Global Director, at pgorbach@ucla.edu.

Please contact Dr. Gorbach if you have any questions or need assistance identifying global host/contact.

This content originally appeared on HIV.Gov. View the full article here.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently published a fact sheet (PDF, 157KB) on the potential for Medicare Part B coverage of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for Medicare beneficiaries. CMS did not announce any coverage changes. However, the fact sheet encourages pharmacies, healthcare providers, and other stakeholders to prepare for a potential National Coverage Determination (NCD) that would result in a change to how people with Medicare would be able to get PrEP, making it available without cost-sharing (i.e., deductibles or co-pays) if the proposed decision would be finalized.

PrEP medications are currently covered under Medicare Part D and typically have cost-sharing and deductibles. In July 2023, CMS issued a proposed NCD to cover PrEP. If finalized, the NCD would expand Medicare Part B coverage to include PrEP drugs and related services without cost-sharing (no deductibles or co-pays for beneficiaries). This would be consistent with most commercial health insurance and Medicaid plans which, under the Affordable Care Act, must cover PrEP drugs (oral or injectable), laboratory tests, and related clinical visits without cost sharing when prescribed by a healthcare provider. The proposed NCD would cover both oral and injectable versions of PrEP, and up to seven individual counseling visits every 12 months, including HIV risk assessments, risk reduction, and medication adherence. Additionally, HIV screenings up to seven times a year and a single screening for hepatitis B virus would be covered.

Some commenters on the proposed NCD expressed concern that a change to Part B coverage might be disruptive for patients who are receiving coverage for PrEP under Part D. This latest step taken by CMS is aimed at allowing providers and others to prepare for the move of PrEP coverage from Medicare Part D to Part B, with the goal of minimizing any possible disruptions in access to the HIV prevention medication for beneficiaries.

In the fact sheet, CMS urges providers and pharmacies to prepare for this possible change since it would involve changes to claims processing as well as to billing and payment codes for drugs and other covered services related to HIV PrEP. For example, to bill for PrEP medications under Medicare Part B, a pharmacy must be enrolled as a Part B pharmacy supplier. Information about enrolling as a Medicare Part B pharmacy can be found on CMS.gov. The fact sheet also encourages providers and pharmacies to be ready to transition coverage to Part B immediately on the date a final NCD is posted to ensure beneficiaries have uninterrupted access to PrEP drugs and HIV treatments.

If you are a Medicare beneficiary using PrEP, you may want to share the CMS fact sheet (PDF, 157KB) with your provider and pharmacist. If you are a healthcare provider or pharmacist serving clients using PrEP who are also Medicare beneficiaries, review the CMS fact sheet and consider what systems may need to be modified to accommodate this change and how you can reach out to affected patients with information about the change.

This potential NCD for PrEP coverage under Medicare Part B would be an important step in expanding access to HIV prevention measures for older adults. By staying informed and preparing for the potential changes, healthcare providers and pharmacies can help ensure continued access to PrEP for those who need it.

This content originally appeared on CDC.Gov. View the full article here.

Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published three new HIV surveillance reports:

• Estimated HIV Incidence and Prevalence in the United States, 2018-2022;
• Monitoring Selected National HIV Prevention and Care Objectives by Using HIV Surveillance Data, United States and 6 Territories and Freely Associated States, 2022; and
• Diagnoses, Deaths, and Prevalence of HIV in the United States and 6 Territories and Freely Associated States, 2022.

All data are also available on NCHHSTP AtlasPlus. These data can assist HIV prevention partners in focusing prevention efforts, allocating resources, monitoring trends, and determining gaps and successes in HIV prevention.

Estimated HIV Incidence and Prevalence^*: Key Findings

The new HIV incidence estimates show that national prevention efforts are continuing to move in the right direction overall, although substantial disparities exist. The estimated number of new HIV infections in 2022 (31,800) decreased 12% compared with 2018 (36,200), driven by a 30% decrease among young people aged 13–24 years. Increases in preexposure prophylaxis prescriptions, viral suppression and HIV testing likely contributed to the decline. Data also show significant declines geographically, with estimated new HIV infections decreasing 16% in the South in 2022 compared with 2018. In 2022, HIV incidence in Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) (phase I) jurisdictions decreased 21% among persons aged ≥ 13 years, compared with the 2017 EHE baseline year. There were no increases in HIV incidence for any populations in 2022 compared with 2018.

Although data demonstrate continued progress in HIV prevention, longstanding social and economic factors continue to contribute to health inequities—particularly among Black/African American (hereafter referred to as Black) persons and Hispanic/Latino persons. Among women overall, in 2022, 47% (2,800) of estimated new HIV infections were among Black women. New HIV infections attributed to male-to-male sexual contact (MMSC) accounted for 67% (21,400) of estimated new infections. New HIV infections among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) were about 16% lower among Black men in 2022 (7,400) compared with 2018 (8,800) and 20% lower among White men in 2022 (4,400) compared with 2018 (5,500). Although the number of new HIV infections remained about the same among Hispanic/Latino MSM (8,200 in 2018 and 8,300 in 2022), due to the declines among other groups, Hispanic/Latino men accounted for 39% of estimated new HIV infections among gay, bisexual, and other MSM in 2022.

It is estimated that 1.2 million persons in the United States were living with diagnosed and undiagnosed HIV at the end of 2022. More people with HIV were aware of their status in 2022 than in 2018, with a slight increase from 86% to 87%. Knowledge of HIV status increased among persons aged 13–24 years, Asian persons, Black persons, Hispanic/Latino persons, persons in the South, and among males with infections attributed to MMSC. Knowledge of HIV status decreased among persons aged 35-44 years (84% in 2022 compared with 86% in 2018).

Monitoring Report: PrEP Coverage

This CDC Monitoring Report does not include data on PrEP coverage. CDC has paused PrEP coverage reporting for one year to address a formula error that affects a subset of race/ethnicity data, update overall PrEP coverage estimates using newly available data sets, and determine the best way to present PrEP coverage. CDC believes this update will yield greater precision and a more complete picture of the PrEP coverage landscape in the United States.

Earlier this year a formula error was found in the calculation used to determine the number of people with indications for PrEP by race/ethnicity. This only affects the PrEP coverage estimates for two groups – White persons and persons of other races/ethnicities – and does not affect the overall PrEP coverage estimate or estimates by sex or by age group. It does, however, affect all years of PrEP coverage data (2017-2022). CDC does not expect general trends in disparities to change, but magnitudes of certain disparities are expected to shift (i.e., current PrEP coverage estimates for White persons are likely an overestimate).

Furthermore, in March 2024, data were made available to CDC that can improve the representativeness of the number of persons prescribed PrEP in the United States. In the coming months, CDC also expects to have updates to the data sets used to estimate the number of persons with indications for PrEP. Pausing PrEP coverage reporting for the next year will allow CDC to update all PrEP coverage estimates (2017-2022) using newly available data sets, rather than simply correcting the formula error using current data sources.

CDC plans to resume PrEP coverage reporting in the next Monitoring Report, currently scheduled for publication in June 2025. Until updated estimates are published, CDC advises against citing specific PrEP coverage data points and instead recommends referencing general trends and disparities.

Monitoring Report: Key Findings

Among persons who received diagnoses of HIV infection during 2022, 82% were linked to care within one month of diagnosis. Asian persons had the highest percentage of linkage to care within one month (88%), and Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander persons (74%), American Indian/Alaska Native persons (78%), Black persons (78%), and women (80%) had the lowest percentages. Among persons with diagnosed HIV and alive at year-end 2022, 65% were virally suppressed at the most recent viral load test. The lowest percentages of viral suppression were among Black persons (61%) and women overall (64%). Despite overall progress in eliminating perinatally acquired HIV, in 2022, the rate of perinatally acquired HIV among Black persons was 5 times the overall annual rate of 1.1 per 100,000 live births. To meet national HIV goals and ensure that all persons with diagnosed HIV receive high quality care and treatment, prevention efforts must address the drivers of social inequities and other barriers to care that cause and exacerbate health disparities.

HIV Diagnoses^**: Key Findings

In 2022, in the United States and 6 territories and freely associated states, there were 38,043 HIV diagnoses, more than half of which (52%) occurred among people living in the South. Compared to 2018, in 2022, the number of HIV diagnoses among gay, bisexual, and other MSM overall (67%) and the number of HIV diagnoses among Black gay, bisexual, and other MSM (35% of MSM) remained stable. White persons accounted for almost half (47%) of all HIV diagnoses attributed to injection drug use. Notably, compared with 2018, in 2022, HIV diagnoses increased among transgender women (25% increase), Hispanic/Latino gay, bisexual, and other MSM (22% increase), Hispanic/Latino persons overall (17% increase), and males who inject drugs (7% increase). HIV diagnoses decreased among persons aged 13–24 years (14% decrease) and Black women (10% decrease). Although Black women accounted for only 9% of HIV diagnoses overall in 2022, among cisgender women, Black women accounted for 50% of HIV diagnoses and, among transgender women, Black women accounted for 41% of HIV diagnoses. Finally, HIV diagnosis data show that the rate of HIV-related deaths declined 25%, highlighting the effectiveness of early diagnosis and linking people with diagnosed HIV to quality care and treatment.

Overall, data from these reports demonstrate that expanding the reach of HIV testing, PrEP, and treatment have been effective – but our reach must extend even further, and progress must be faster, to achieve our national goal of ending new HIV infections in the United States. This requires sharpening our collective focus on efforts that address inequities and their drivers, including racism and other social and structural determinants of health, and ensuring that whole person approaches to HIV prevention, care, and treatment are brought to scale and equitably reach all people who need them to stay healthy.

Thank you for your continued support for HIV prevention in the United States.

Sincerely,

/Robyn Fanfair/

Robyn Neblett Fanfair, MD, MPH
Captain, USPHS
Director
Division of HIV Prevention
National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
www.cdc.gov/hiv

/Jonathan Mermin/

Jonathan Mermin, MD, MPH
Rear Admiral, USPHS (retired)
Director
National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Stay connected @DrMerminCDC and Connections

* HIV estimates for years 2020, 2021, and 2022 should be interpreted with caution due to adjustments made to the CD4-based depletion model to account for the impact of COVID-19 on HIV testing and diagnosis in the United States. Please see the Technical Notes section of this report for additional information.

** In 2022, reporting of HIV diagnoses was 5% higher than in 2021. Based on pre-pandemic data, an increase in diagnoses of 2-3% is expected each year. As the COVID-19 pandemic lasted beyond 2020, readers should consider the potential influence of these pandemic effects on U.S. public health systems when interpreting data HIV data for years 2021–2022.

CHIPTS was honored to host the 3^rd National Ending the HIV Epidemic Partnerships for Research Meeting in partnership with the UCLA-CDU Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) on April 15-16, 2024, at the UCLA Meyer and Renee Luskin Conference Center. The 2024 National EHE Meeting welcomed over 300 inspiring scientists, federal agency representatives, and community and public health partners to explore opportunities to advance high-impact HIV implementation research and practice.

 

Find highlights and resources from Tuesday, April 16, 2024 (Day Two) of the 2024 National EHE Meeting below. A recap of Monday, April 15, 2024 (Day One) is available here

Visit the meeting webpage for additional materials and resources – photo gallery, recordings and more

2024 National EHE Meeting Recap – Tuesday, April 16, 2024

Judith Currier, MD, Co-Director of the UCLA-CDU CFAR, opened Day Two of the 2024 National EHE Meeting with her welcoming remarks and emphasized the need to break down silos across funding sources to end the HIV epidemic. Francisco Ruiz, MS, the newly appointed Director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy, shared his vision for his tenure focused on increasing community engagement and investment in mobilizing resources.

Two sets of invigorating panel sessions followed. Kenneth Sherr, PhD, Director of the UW/FH CFAR Implementation Science Hub, moderated a strategy panel session focused on partnering with public health departments across the care continuum. The second panel session, titled Moving Research to Practice: Community, Agency, and Implementing Partner Perspectives, was moderated by Linda Koenig, PhD, Senior Advisor in CDC’s Division of HIV Prevention.

Next, Sheree Schwartz, PhD, MPH, Co-Director of the Johns Hopkins CFAR MACC+ Implementation Science Hub, presented on the potential for multi-site work to generate generalizable knowledge to end the HIV epidemic. She discussed the activities of the Network for Implementation Science in HIV (NISH) and highlighted the value of data harmonization and collaboration in implementation research. The UCLA-CDU CFAR Community Advisory Board rounded out the morning with a presentation and panel discussion on the need to engage community voices in research and the important impact they have made on research and dissemination efforts.

The afternoon included breakout sessions focused on how to optimize the strategies highlighted during the morning sessions, how to move EHE supplement projects to the next stage of research, and how to meaningfully apply dissemination and implementation science theories, models, and frameworks.

The program ended with summaries from the breakout session discussions on optimizing key strategies for research-community partnerships to end the HIV epidemic. LT Alberto Pina, MPH, OIDP Engagement Team Region IX Director with the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, provided a call to action and closing remarks for the meeting. He emphasized the critical role of implementation science and efforts to translate research to practice as we work together to end the HIV epidemic.

The Day Two agenda and links to corresponding slide sets are shared below. To access the photo galleries and videos of the presentations, click here.

Tuesday, April 16, 2024

• 8:00AM: Registration and Breakfast
• 9:00AM: Welcome and Recap of Day One
  • Judith Currier, MD, UCLA-CDU CFAR
  • Francisco Ruiz, MS, White House ONAP

• 9:10AM: Strategy #3 Panel: Partnering with Public Health Departments Across the Care Continuum
  • Moderator: Kenneth Sherr, PhD, University of Washington Implementation Science Hub

• • • Evaluating the Implementation of an HIV Workforce Training Program in Philadelphia
      – Stephen Bonett, PhD, NP
    • Adaptation of the Mobile PrEP Implementation Strategy for Equitable Scale-Out (AMP-IT-OUT)
      – Susanne Doblecki-Lewis, MD
    • Financially Incentivizing HIV Prevention Among High-Incidence Populations in LA County
      – Raphael Landovitz, MD, MSc, and Wendy Garland, MPH

• 10:20AM: Moving Research to Practice: Community, Agency, and Implementing Partner Perspectives
  • Discussants: Linda Koenig, PhD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Pamela Klein, PhD, HRSA HIV/AIDS Bureau

• • • Strengthening Community-Academic Partnerships in HIV Implementation Science: An Assessment of Community-Engaged Research Among Ending the HIV Epidemic Awardees
      – Reva Datar, PhD, MPH
    • Research - Public Health Partnerships to Inform LA County’s Response to the HIV Epidemic
      – Mario Perez, MPH
    • California’s Effort to End the HIV Epidemic: A State-Wide Approach
      – LeRoy Blea, MPH

• 11:20AM: Network for Implementation Science in HIV: The Potential for Multi-Site Work to Generate Generalizable Knowledge to End the HIV Epidemic in the U.S.
  • Sheree Schwartz, PhD, MPH, Johns Hopkins University, MACC+ Implementation Science Hub

• 11:45AM: Our Voice Matters in Research! CAB Presentation and Panel
  • Panelists: Lynnea Railey, Shawn Pleasants, Raul Amezquita, Maria Scott
  • Hosted by the UCLA-CDU CFAR Community Advisory Board

• 1:15PM: Breakout Sessions
  • Strategy #3 Breakout: Partnering with Public Health Departments Across the Care Continuum 
    • Moderators: Kenneth Sherr, PhD, University of Washington Implementation Science Hub, and Natalie Cramer, MS, NASTAD
    • Panelists: Stephen Bonett, PhD, NP, Susanne Doblecki-Lewis, MD, Raphael Landovitz, MD, MSc, Wendy Garland, MPH

• • Moving Research to Practice: Community, Agency, and Implementing Partner Perspectives 
    • Moderator: Linda Koenig, PhD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
    • Panelists: Reva Datar, PhD, MPH, Mario Perez, MPH, LeRoy Blea, MPH

• • How to Move Your EHE Projects to the Next Stage of Research: A Consultation Session with NIH Program Officers – Illumination Room
    • Moderated by Chris Gordon, PhD, NIMH

• • Dissemination and Implementation Science Theories, Models, and Frameworks: What They are and How to Select and Apply Them in the HIV Field and Current Projects – Enlightenment Room
    • Moderators: Borsika Rabin, PhD, PharmD, MPH, and Nicole Stadnick, PhD, MPH, San Diego CFAR Implementation Science Hub
    • Panelists: Mariano Kanamori, PhD, Edda Rodriguez, MPH, Erik Storholm, PhD, Kimberly Ling Murtaugh, PhD
• 2:15PM: Summary and Report-Out from Strategy Breakout Sessions
• 2:45PM: A Call to Action: What Did We Come Away With and Where Do We Go?
  • LT Alberto Pina, MPH, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, US Department of Health and Human Services

• 3:00PM: Meeting Adjourned

 

A recap of Day One is available here: https://chipts.ucla.edu/news/2024-national-ehe-meeting-recap-day-one/

CHIPTS and the UCLA-CDU Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) were honored to co-host the 3rd National Ending the HIV Epidemic Partnerships for Research Meeting on April 15-16, 2024, at the UCLA Meyer and Renee Luskin Conference Center. The meeting welcomed over 300 participants from the CFAR/ARC Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) supplement project teams funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), federal agencies, and community and public health partners to explore opportunities to advance high-impact HIV implementation research and practice.

The 2024 National EHE Meeting theme was: Accelerating Innovations for Equitable Reach and Uptake of HIV Services. Grounded in this theme, the meeting aimed to:

• Facilitate the dissemination of innovative implementation strategies and generalizable findings from the EHE supplement projects.
• Promote best practices for research-community partnerships in HIV implementation research.
• Offer opportunities for networking and exploring new collaborations to accelerate progress towards ending the HIV epidemic.

 

Find highlights and resources from Monday, April 15, 2024 (Day One) of the 2024 National EHE Meeting below.

Recap of Tuesday, April 16, 2024 (Day Two) is available here.

Visit the meeting webpage for additional materials and resources – photo gallery, recordings and more

 2024 National EHE Meeting Recap – Monday, April 15, 2024

The 2024 National EHE Meeting began with opening remarks from CHIPTS, the UCLA CDU-CFAR, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), recognizing the partners that made this meeting possible and the diverse range of participants from 34 EHE jurisdictions and 49 counties who had convened to advance high-impact HIV implementation research and practice. CDR Michelle Sandoval-Rosario, DrPH, MPH, OIDP Engagement Team Region IX Director with the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, provided an overview and discussed future directions of the EHE initiative, emphasizing the importance of working with non-traditional partners and aiming to address syndemics to better help disproportionately impacted communities. Then, representatives of key federal agencies and local partners highlighted their unique and collective roles in the EHE initiative during the Partnerships in Research: Our Roles in Ending the HIV Epidemic panel session.

The keynote address for the 2024 National EHE Meeting was given by Vincent Guilamo-Ramos, PhD, MPH, LCSW, ANP-BC, PMHNP-BC, FAAN, Executive Director of the Institute for Policy Solutions at Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing. His insightful address, titled Is the USA on track to end the HIV epidemic?, explored the impact of the EHE initiative since its launch in 2019 and offered recommendations for accelerating progress towards ending the HIV epidemic, including increasing the diversity of the workforce and reducing regulatory barriers. Following the keynote address, CHIPTS Director Steve Shoptaw, PhD, moderated a panel discussion with Guilamo-Ramos and the members of the Partnerships in Research: Our Roles in Ending the HIV Epidemic panel.

Brian Mustanski, PhD, Co-Director of the Implementation Science Coordination Initiative (ISCI) with the Third Coast CFAR at Northwestern University shared an overview of the progress made by the CFAR/ARC Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) supplement projects, and captured ISCI’s efforts to generate and disseminate generalizable knowledge from the projects.

The program continued with two strategy panel sessions that included exciting presentations from various EHE supplement projects. The first session centered on successful outreach strategies to empower communities and was moderated by Robin Lanzi, PhD, MPH, MPI of the University of Alabama at Birmingham CFAR Implementation Science Hub. In the afternoon, Borsika Rabin, PhD, PharmD, MPH, Co-Director of the San Diego CFAR Implementation Science Hub moderated the second strategy panel session on lowering barriers to care through community engagement.

Following the strategy panel sessions, participants were invited to engage in impactful breakout room discussions on how to optimize the strategies discussed, tackle tough questions in implementation science, and find relevant tools to support their HIV implementation research and practice activities.

Nina Harawa, PhD, MPH, Director of the CHIPTS Policy Impact Core and faculty at the UCLA-CDU CFAR, closed the afternoon by highlighting the critical conversations from Day One and emphasizing the need to center community voices and ensure reciprocity in academic-community partnerships.

The Day One agenda and links to corresponding slide sets are shared below. To access the photo galleries and videos of the presentations, click here.

Monday, April 15, 2024

• 8:00 AM: Registration and Breakfast
• 9:00 AM: Welcome, Purpose, and Theme
  • Steve Shoptaw, PhD, UCLA CHIPTS
  • LaShonda Spencer, MD, UCLA-CDU CFAR
  • Rebecca Mandt, PhD, Division of AIDS, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
  • Chris Gordon, PhD, Division of AIDS Research, National Institute of Mental Health

• 9:20AM: Overview and Future Directions of EHE Initiative
  • CDR Michelle Sandoval-Rosario, DrPH, MPH, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, US Department of Health and Human Services

• 9:30AM: Partnerships in Research: Our Roles in Ending the HIV Epidemic
  • Jazzmun Crayton, APAIT and City of Los Angeles’ Trans Advisory Council
  • Mary Glenshaw, PhD, MPH, NIH Office of AIDS Research
  • Paul Weidle, PharmD, MPH, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Pamela Klein, PhD, Health Resources and Services Administration
  • Kristin Roha, MS, MPH, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
  • Rick Haverkate, MPH, Indian Health Service
  • Mario Perez, MPH, Division of HIV and STD Programs, County of Los Angeles

• 10:10AM: Keynote Address – Is the USA on Track to End the HIV Epidemic?
  • Vincent Guilamo-Ramos, PhD, MPH, LCSW, ANP-BC, PMHNP-BC, FAAN, Johns Hopkins University
  • Moderated Discussion
    • Moderator: Steve Shoptaw, PhD, UCLA CHIPTS
    • Panelists: Jazzmun Crayton, Mary Glenshaw, PhD, MPH , Paul Weidle, PharmD, MPH, Pamela Klein, PhD, Kristin Roha, MS, MPH, Rick Haverkate, MPH, Mario Perez, MPH

• 11:15AM: Overview and Progress of NIH-funded Ending the HIV Epidemic Projects
  • Brian Mustanski, PhD, Implementation Science Coordination Initiative (ISCI), Third Coast CFAR at Northwestern University

• 11:25AM: Strategy #1 Panel: Successful Outreach Strategies to Empower Communities
  • Moderator: Robin Lanzi, PhD, MPH, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Implementation Science Hub

• • • Five Point Initiative (R01): A Cluster Randomized Trial of a Bundled Implementation Strategy to Address the HIV Epidemic in Black Communities
      – Sannisha Dale, PhD, and Glenn Hayward Stepherson
    • Using An Interactive Systems Approach With Community Organizing To Improve PrEP Reach Among Cisgender Women In Metro Atlanta
      – Jessica Sales, PhD
    • The Twists, Turns and Glorious Messiness of a Teen-Guided Social Marketing and Community Mobilization Project
      – Kathryn Macapagal, PhD, and Jim Pickett

• 1:30PM: Strategy #2 Panel: Lowering Barriers to Care through Community Engagement
  • Moderator: Borsika Rabin, PhD, PharmD, MPH, San Diego CFAR Implementation Science Hub

• • • FINISHING HIV: A Social Network-Based Outreach Program to Encourage Utilization of HIV Protection, Diagnosis and Treatment Services, Customized for Latinos
      – Mariano Kanamori, PhD, and Stephen Fallon, PhD
    • Mobile Testing to Increase HIV-Testing Uptake in Rural Alabama: a Pilot Implementation Project (MOBILISE)
      – Lynn Matthews, MD, MPH, and DeAndra Tuyishime, MAEd, CHES, RPCV
    • Engagement to Support the Health and Service Needs of Criminal Legal Involved Populations in Illinois
      – Jeannette Webb

• 2:45PM : Breakout Sessions
  • Strategy #1 Breakout: Successful Outreach Strategies to Empower Communities 
    • Moderators: Debbie Humphries, PhD, R3EDI Hub, Yale CFAR, and Robin Lanzi, PhD, MPH, UAB Implementation Science Hub
      Panelists: Sannisha Dale, PhD, Glenn Hayward Stepherson, Jessica Sales, PhD, Kathryn Macapagal, PhD, Jim Pickett
  • Strategy #2 Breakout: Lowering Barriers to Care through Community Engagement 
    • Moderator: Borsika Rabin, PhD, PharmD, MPH, San Diego CFAR Implementation Science Hub
      Panelists: Mariano Kanamori, PhD, Stephen Fallon, PhD, Lynn Matthews, MD, MPH, and DeAndra Tuyishime, MAEd, CHES, RPCV, Jeannette Webb
  • Thorny Questions in Implementation Science: What You Want to Ask but Don’t Ask 
    • Moderator: Alison Hamilton, PhD, MPH, UCLA CHIPTS Implementation Science Hub
      Panelists: Prajakta Adsul, MBBS, PhD, MPH, Ana Baumann, PhD, Erin Finley, PhD, MPH
  • ISCI and Hub Tools, Support, and Collaboration to Support Your Success – Enlightenment Room
    • Moderator: Brian Mustanski, PhD, and hosted by ISCI/Third Coast CFAR

• 3:45PM: Closing Remarks and Day One Adjourn
  • Nina Harawa, PhD, UCLA CHIPTS and UCLA-CDU CFAR

• 4:15PM: Listening Session to Inform the FY26-30 NIH Strategic Plan for HIV and HIV-Related Research 
  • Moderated by CAPT Mary Glenshaw, PhD, MPH, and Amber Wilson, MPH
  • Hosted by the NIH Office of AIDS Research

• 5:30PM: Networking Reception

 

A recap of Day Two is available here: https://chipts.ucla.edu/news/2024-national-ehe-meeting-recap-day-two/ 

This content originally appeared on HIV.gov. View the full article here.

We are already more than 100 days into 2024, and I’m reminded that we must continue pushing forward while keeping our foot on the pedal to ensure our HIV response builds on our successes and continues to work to address unmet needs and emerging challenges. To assist with these efforts, the White House has appointed a new director to lead the Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP), and I am honored to welcome Francisco Ruiz to this position.

He takes the helm as the first Latino to serve in this role and as an individual whose history and lived experience demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to equity across the diverse communities impacted by HIV. As the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Infectious Disease and the Director of the Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy (OIDP), I am looking forward to working with Francisco and ONAP to advance the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) and the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. (EHE) initiative as we continue to approach our efforts through a syndemic lens that recognizes the overlapping health conditions of HIV, substance use, mental health, viral hepatitis, and sexually transmitted infections, particularly the crisis of syphilis and congenital syphilis, and the social and structural factors that give rise to them.

The enthusiasm for this announcement extends to ADM Rachel Levine, MD, Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, who shares, “I am pleased to welcome Francisco Ruiz to the White House Office of National AIDS Policy. Francisco brings a wealth of knowledge and experiences vital to shaping the implementation of the Biden Administration’s priorities, from the NHAS to our collective efforts to reduce HIV-related inequities and address stigma and discrimination. I look forward to working with him in support of President Biden’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget request for HIV programs, including a mandatory Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Delivery Program.”

Commitment to Coordination and Community Engagement

Francisco has worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) since 2013. In his former role as the Senior Advisor for Program Innovation and Coordination within the Division of HIV Prevention, he played an integral role in shaping and advancing programs and partnerships across the Division’s ten branches and six offices. Additionally, he advanced the agency’s engagement with community partners, ensuring that impacted populations were part of message development and the creation of new initiatives. Before joining the federal government, he worked at NASTAD (National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors), collaborating extensively with health departments to address the impact of HIV among key populations, including Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and LGBTQ+ communities. His focus on engaging and working with diverse communities, his experience working in public health, and his commitment to addressing health disparities and inequities will continue to be of great benefit to the HIV service community and those who continue to work toward ending the HIV epidemic.

I offer my heartfelt congratulations to Francisco on this well-deserved appointment. My office and I, along with many others committed to ending the HIV epidemic, are excited and look forward to our future collaboration.

Learn More

We encourage you to read a recent blog available in English and Spanish about Francisco’s appointment by Neera Tanden, Chair of the Domestic Policy Council and Domestic Policy Advisor to the President, The White House.

This content originally appeared on HIV.gov. View the full article here.

On March 11, 2024, the White House released President Joe Biden’s Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Federal Budget, which includes important investments in HIV. The investments total more than $7.7 billion and include increases in funding for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, the Indian Health Service (IHS), and the Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) program. The Budget also proposes new programs and funding for HIV PrEP and the modernization of state HIV criminalization statutes. Learn more on HIV.gov’s Federal HIV Budget page.

“This budget lays out a vision for a nation that invests in all aspects of health, fosters innovation, and supports its most vulnerable. This budget continues our shift from a nation focused on illness to one that promotes wellness,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra.” Read more about the funding proposed for HHS in the FY25 HHS Budget in Brief.

Nearly $600 Million Requested for EHE Initiative

President Biden’s FY25 Budget requests $593 million in funding across CDC, HRSA, IHS, and NIH to support continued scale-up and implementation of the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. (EHE) initiative. This represents a $20 million increase over the FY23 enacted funding level, with increases proposed for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program and the Indian Health Service. The specific funding amounts proposed by agency are:

• $220 million for CDC
• $332 million for HRSA
  • $175 million to deliver HIV care through HRSA’s Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program
  • $157 million to provide HIV testing, linkage to care, and prescription of HIV PrEP and associated medical costs through HRSA’s Health Center Program
• $15 million to IHS for an initiative to treat or reduce the transmission of HIV and HCV
• $26 million for NIH for implementation research projects in the EHE jurisdictions

“The proposed funding included in this budget to continue the EHE initiative’s HIV testing, prevention, and care and treatment services will support continued innovation and tailored service delivery in the communities most affected, moving us closer to our goal of ending the HIV epidemic,” observed CAPT John Oguntomilade, PhD, EHE Coordination Lead in the HHS Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy.

Read more on HIV.gov’s EHE Funding page.

Core HIV Funding and New HIV Proposals

In addition to the EHE funding, the President’s FY25 Budget proposes continued funding for core HIV programs and services administered by CDC and HRSA, and HIV research across NIH. It also proposes new HIV programs:

• PrEP Services: The FY25 Budget eliminates barriers to accessing pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for Medicaid beneficiaries and proposes a new mandatory program to guarantee PrEP at no cost for all uninsured and underinsured individuals and provide essential wrap-around services with initial year funding of $213 million.
• Modernizing State HIV Criminal Statutes: The FY25 Budget invests in State and local efforts to promote equity and protect civil rights through a new $10 million Department of Justice grant program to support modernization of outdated state criminal statutes with a discriminatory impact on HIV-positive individuals.

Funding for Programs Also Supports Syndemic Response

The President’s FY25 Budget also includes investments that can support addressing the syndemic of HIV, viral hepatitis, STIs, substance use disorder, and mental health. For example, the Budget proposes a national program to significantly expand screening, testing, treatment, prevention, and monitoring of hepatitis C infections in the United States, with a specific focus on populations with high infection levels. The budget also proposes increases in the SAMHSA-administered Community Mental Health Services Block Grant as well as in mental health research at NIH to support better diagnostics, improved treatments, and enhanced precision of care for mental health. While not specifically focused on HIV, investments in these programs can have a positive impact on the overall health and well-being of people with and experiencing risk for HIV.