Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America, acts boldly on this unprecedented opportunity by providing the hardest hit communities with the additional expertise, technology, and resources required to address the HIV epidemic in their communities.
Our efforts will focus on four key strategies that together can end the HIV epidemic in the U.S.: 1) Diagnose, 2) Treat, 3) Protect, and 4) Respond.
1) Diagnose all individuals with HIV as early as possible after infection. Approximately 165,000 Americans are living with HIV but don’t know they have it. Early detection is critical and can lead to quicker results in treatment and prevent transmission to others. Using the latest diagnostics and advanced automation systems, we will make HIV testing simple, accessible and routine. And we will diagnose infection early and connect patients immediately to care.
2) Treat the infection rapidly and effectively after diagnosis, achieving sustained viral suppression. Eighty-seven percent of annual new infections are transmitted by those not receiving HIV care and treatment. But individuals with HIV who take medication as prescribed and stay virally suppressed can live long, healthy lives and have effectively no risk of sexually transmitting HIV to a partner. We will establish and expand programs to follow up with individuals no longer receiving care—and provide the resources needed to re-engage them in HIV effective care and treatment. The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program has achieved a viral suppression rate of nearly 86 percent. We aim to leverage the program’s comprehensive system of care and treatment to increase viral suppression around the country to 90 percent.
3) Protect individuals at risk for HIV using proven prevention approaches. Of the estimated 1 million Americans at substantial risk for HIV and who could benefit from PrEP, fewer than 10 percent are actually using this medication. Increasing PrEP use among high-risk groups could prevent almost 50,000 HIV infections by 2020.
4) Respond rapidly to detect and respond to growing HIV clusters and prevent new HIV infections. New laboratory methods and epidemiological techniques allow us to see where HIV may be spreading most rapidly, thereby allowing CDC and other partners to quickly develop and implement strategies to stop ongoing transmission. We will work with impacted communities to ensure they have the technology, personnel and prevention resources to follow up on all HIV cases and to intervene to stop chains of transmission, and to get those impacted into appropriate care and treatment.
The State of Nevada partner with the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) – AIDS Education and Training Center (AETC) to conduct a rapid planning process that engages the community, HIV planning bodies, HIV prevention and care providers, and other partners in aligning resources and activities to develop jurisdictional End the HIV Epidemic plans.
For additional information, please contact the person(s) below:
Preston Nguyen Tang, MPH
Health Program Specialist I
Phone: (702) 486-6488
Email: ptang@health.nv.gov
Victoria M Young, MPH
UNR AETC – Research Analyst
Phone: 775-682-7616
Email: victoriay@med.unr.edu