WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) strongly supports the U.S. Government’s “Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America” (EHE) that President Trump announced in his February 5, 2019 State of the Union address to the U.S. Congress. The plan established an ambitious target to reduce new infections by 75% in five years and a remarkable 90% in ten years.
When first announced, AHF was quick to welcome this groundbreaking commitment. Yet one year later, based on a survey of its HIV primary care out-patient health care centers, little of the HIV prevention and treatment landscape has changed.
AHF serves over 50,000 people living with HIV across the nation at 65 health care centers. AHF’s HIV medical providers are concerned about the lack of action they have seen in the communities they serve. Local stakeholders and community-based organizations are ready to follow EHE and curb new HIV infections by 90%. But this goal can’t be achieved until resources are scaled up to meet the targets in the plan.
AHF stands behind the invaluable service pillars of sexually transmitted infection (STI) and HIV testing and treatment, primary prevention including prevention case management, linkage to care, and retention in care. These five tools will end the epidemic as a threat to public health.
The US is a world leader in developing breakthroughs in HIV treatment. Through PEPFAR and the Global Fund, our nation helped 18.9 million people living with HIV get on lifesaving treatment since 2003 [1]. However, at home in the US, only 64.5 percent of individuals have achieved viral suppression [2]. Many people who know they are positive are not retained in care. Fourteen percent of people living with HIV still do not know they are infected [3]. We need innovative testing, rapid deployment of treatment, and to get people into care as soon as possible.
As a US-based nonprofit that has since expanded worldwide with 1.3 million patients in care in 45 countries, AHF supports “Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America” and is ready to join the President’s fight against the spread of HIV.
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over 1.3 million individuals in 45 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter @aidshealthcare.
_____________________________
|
1 The Global Fund. Results at a Glance. 2019. Available online: https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/hivaids/ |
|
|
|
2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HIV Surveillance Report: Monitoring Selected National HIV Prevention and Care Objectives by Using HIV Surveillance Data, United States and 6 Dependent Area, 2017. Volume 24, No. 3, pg. 44. Available online: https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pdf/library/reports/surveillance/cdc-hiv-surveillance-supplemental-report-vol-24-3.pdf |
|
|
|
3 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC Vital Signs. December 2019. Available online: https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/test-treat-prevent/index.html |
Contacts
MEDIA CONTACTS:
John Hassell, National Director of Advocacy, AHF, +1.202.774.4854 cell john.hassell@aidshealth.org
Ged Kenslea, Senior Director, Communications, AHF, +1.323.791.5526 cell gedk@aidshealth.org
