Testing and Prevention Services Must be Expanded in Order to Meet NHAS Goals, Says Study

The incidence and transmission rate reduction goals of the two-year old National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) will not be achieved unless there is a timely expansion of testing and prevention services for people living with HIV/AIDS.  This, according to a recently-published paper called “Costs, Consequences and Feasibility of Strategies for Achieving the Goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy in the United States: A Closing Window for Success?” which appeared on May 19 in the AIDS and Behavior journal. In their paper, authors David R. Holtgrave, H. Irene Hall, Laura Wehrmeyer and Cathy Maulsby explore three key policy questions:

• Is it still epidemiologically feasible to attain the incidence and transmission rate reduction goals of the U.S. National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) by 2015?
• If so, what costs will be incurred in necessary program expansion, and will the investment be cost-effective?
• Would substantial expansion of prevention services for persons living with HIV (PLWH) augment the other strategies outlined in the NHAS in terms of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness?

Click here to access the publication.

NHAS was introduced by President Obama in July of 2010 as our nation’s first ever comprehensive plan to combat HIV/AIDS. The Strategy set a number of ambitious goals to be reached by 2015, including:

• Lowering the number of new infections by 25%
• Increasing the proportion of newly diagnosed patients linked to clinical care within three months of their HIV diagnosis from 65% to 85%
• Increasing the proportion of HIV diagnosed gay and bisexual men, Blacks, and Latinos by 20%

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The “Fiscal Cliff:” What It Means for HIV/AIDS

As if the HIV/AIDS community did not have enough to deal with, now the impending “fiscal cliff” has been added to our collective worry list. The fiscal cliff has become the buzz term in the media and around the Washington, D.C. government community since Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke used the term in testimony earlier this year before the House Financial Services Committee.  The fiscal cliff is used to describe a worst case scenario resulting from the year end expiration of the Bush era tax cuts, the 2% payroll tax “holiday,” the extended unemployment benefits package and the automatic spending cuts (sequestration) mandated by the Budget Control Act that will go into effect right after New Year’s Day. The expiration of the current Medicare “doc fix” on Dec. 31 can be thrown in for good measure. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) joined the fray last week by issuing an analysis of the potential impact on the economy of the elements that make up the fiscal cliff. The CBO’s analysis was not a cheery one.

There seem to be four views for every three pundits as to what all this means and what can or should be done to avoid falling off the cliff. It is clear, however, that Congressional action will be needed and there is near universal agreement that Congress will not act until after the November elections, in a lame duck session.  The questions are open as to whether Congress will make clear, albeit hard, decisions in the lame duck session, or punt to the new Congress that convenes in early 2013.

Setting aside the drama over the fiscal cliff, there are real implications for the response to HIV/AIDS. Dr. David Holtgrave from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and his colleagues issued a new paper on the costs, consequences, and feasibility of strategies to achieving the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) (see above article for a link to the paper from Dr. Holtgrave et al.). This latest paper follows an earlier one on the economic importance of NHAS for the country in which the authors estimated that an investment of $15.175 billion will be needed through 2015 to achieve NHAS targets. The latest paper concludes that the NHAS targets can still be achieved but not unless diagnostic and prevention services are scaled up. It is not likely that we would achieve such program expansion if the scenarios envisioned in the fiscal cliff are realized. We will not be able to achieve NHAS targets if drastic spending cuts to domestic programs are enacted and if there is not real revenue growth to stave off such draconian spending cuts. That’s why what Congress and the administration do to avoid falling off the fiscal cliff is very important for the HIV/AIDS community, and that’s why AIDS United will remain focused on keeping you informed and engaged.  Ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic cannot be a casualty of falling off a cliff.

Click here to learn more about the “fiscal cliff.”

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Election 2012: A Blog and a Webinar

This week, the Policy Update features a blog from Tinselyn Simms-Hall, Policy & Advocacy Coordinator for The Women’s Collective, about the importance of the 2012 presidential election for women living with and affected by HIV/AIDS.

Click here to read Tinselyn’s blog.

In light of the forthcoming election, AIDS United will host a voter mobilization webinar on June 6, 2:00pm EDT. This webinar will feature AIDS United’s Regional Organizing Team sharing how to engage, educate, register, and mobilize the HIV/AIDS community using our newly developed Voter Mobilization Toolkit.

To register for the webinar, email us today at zfellows1@aidsunited.org to reserve your spot!

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Office of Women with a Vision Destroyed by Arson

On May 24, the offices of AIDS United Southern REACH grantee Women with a Vision (WWAV) were destroyed by arson. WWAV is a New Orleans-based non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of marginalized women, their families, and communities by addressing the social conditions that hinder their health and well-being.

The torching of WWAV’s office comes on the heels of the organization’s recent legislative victory through the NO Justice Project supported through AIDS United’s Southern REACH initiative. Advocates with the NO Justice Project helped to change a law requiring people to register as sex offenders if they were convicted of a "crime against nature by solicitation." U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman ruled that the law violates the constitutional rights of people who were required to register as sex offenders.

“We feel like it was intentional,” said WWAV Executive Director Deon Haywood in a video posted on WWAV’S web site. “We’ve had some issues with some people not liking our work who wonder why are we helping certain populations like formerly incarcerated people, people struggling with addiction, poor women or low income women of color and the transgendered community.”

“What happened to Women with a Vision is frightening and unconscionable,” said Victor Barnes, AIDS United Interim President and CEO, “but Deon Haywood and the WWAV staff have demonstrated their indomitable spirit immediately to began the re-building process. AIDS United has long been inspired by the work of this incredible organization and is even more so now.”

Click here to see a video of Deon Haywood talking about the arson.

Click here to visit WWAV’s website and to see ways in which you can support WWAV.

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Announcements

Voter Mobilization Toolkit Launch – Save the Date!
Are you ready to mobilize YOUR community for this year’s election? Join AIDS United Wednesday, June 6 at 2:00pm EDT for the launch of our Voter Mobilization Toolkit and get the skills and tools you need to ensure the voices of the HIV/AIDS community are heard at the polls this Election Day. 

AIDS United’s Organizing Team will share successful strategies and examples from the field of how to engage, educate, register, and mobilize the HIV/AIDS community. Register today to learn

• Five ways you can get involved in the 2012 elections
• What you can and cannot do as a non-profit organization
• How to take advantage of your internal and external resources
• How to develop a comprehensive plan of action
• How AIDS United can support you
• And more!

Email zfellows1@aidsunited.org to register today.

Survey – Impact of Proposed Federal Funding Cuts
The AIDS Budget and Appropriations Committee (ABAC) is working to gather data from the field to help Congress understand the real impact of the proposed budget cuts being debated in Congress. We need your assistance.

Take our 10-15 minute survey to tell us how cuts to federal funding would impact your organization!

Multiple funding streams are at risk in the HIV domestic funding portfolio -- HIV Prevention funding, Ryan White Program all parts, Title X funding, research grants, and housing funding.

Please take part in this important survey by clicking here. We ask that you fill out the survey by next Friday, June 8.

Mapping Pathways Community Perspectives on PrEP Webinar– Save the Date!
In response to recent news from the FDA regarding the use of the drug Truvada for prevention, Mapping Pathways U.S. partners AIDS United and AIDS Foundation of Chicago are presenting a webinar focusing specifically on the ARV-based strategy PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis.)

Please join us on Tuesday, June 19th at 3:00 pm EST for this webinar by emailing zfellows1@aidsunited.org to register. 

During the webinar, key findings from the Mapping Pathways online survey and stakeholder interviews will be presented to help illuminate the wide-ranging perspectives of advocates, clinicians, people living with HIV, policy makers, and others with regard to PrEP. While the U.S. context will be highlighted, comparisons/contrasts will be drawn with the opinions of similar individuals in South Africa and India as well. Following the presentation, a moderated discussion will ask webinar participants to reflect on their particular jurisdictions and to share their own PrEP assessments.

We hope you will be able to join us for this timely conversation..

CDC Updated Fact Sheet: “HIV Among Gay and Bisexual Men”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention has updated its fact sheet on HIV Among Gay and Bisexual Men.

Click here for the fact sheet.

2012 HIV/AIDS Law & Practice Conference
The American Bar Association (ABA) AIDS Coordinating Committee will convene its sixth biannual HIV/AIDS Law and Practice Conference on July 20-21, 2012, at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington, DC, immediately preceding the XIX International AIDS Conference in DC.  Conference topics and participants will be multi-disciplinary and reflect both domestic and international issues in HIV/AIDS-related law, policy, and practice. 

Click here to register for the conference!

XIX International AIDS Conference - Deadline for Registration and Late Breakers Abstract Submissions
The XIX International AIDS Conference, to be held July 22-27 in Washington DC, will host an expected 200 countries, 2,000 journalists, and 25,000 participants to address this year's theme of "Turning the Tide Together." The conference is now open for late breakers registration.

Find out more information about registration.

Find other important deadlines.

Ryan White 2012 Grantee Meeting and 15th Annual Clinical Conference
This year’s Ryan White Program Meeting and 15th Annual Clinical Conference will take place November 27-29 in Washington, DC, at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel. The conference theme is “Navigating a New Era in CARE,” and will examine changes in the health care system and explore how changes impact those living with HIV. Over 2,500 participants are expected to attend, including direct care providers, members of planning councils, board members, federal staff, and more.

Important Deadlines for the conference:

• Abstract Submissions – May 21, 2012
• Grantee Meeting Registration – September 24, 2012, 12:00 AM ET
• Clinical Conference Registration – September 24, 2012
• Washington Marriott Wardman Park Discounted Room Rate – October 24, 2012

For more information on the conference, abstracts, registration, and hotels, click here.

July 24th HIV Mobilization Planned at International AIDS Conference
Large scale actions have traditionally taken place at each International AIDS Conference to draw public and media attention to HIV prevention, treatment and research. As the time for the International AIDS Conference in Washington D.C. approaches, some local and national HIV groups are continuing this tradition by calling for a community mobilization around human rights and economic justice on July 24th.

More information about the mobilization can be found here.

Save the Date: 2012 National HIV and Viral Hepatitis Summit
The 2012 National HIV and Viral Hepatitis Summit will take place in Washington D.C. from November 26-28. The Summit will feature public health leaders addressing the importance of improving HIV and viral hepatitis testing, prevention, and linkage to care. The summit will identify the best strategies for the the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) and the Health and Human Services (HHS) Action Plan for Prevention, Care and Treatment of Viral Hepatitis.

Click here to learn more and keep up-to-date as more details become available.

AIDS United Hiring Regional Field Organizer
AIDS United seeks a Regional Field Organizer to work with its grantees, partners, and allies to implement a coordinated national organizing strategy. The Regional Field Organizer will help mobilize grassroots state and federal HIV/AIDS-related advocacy to achieve the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy. The Regional Field Organizer will be located in Texas.

Learn more about the Regional Field Organizer position.

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