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This week the White House released the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS): Updated to 2020 and we are pumped!
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The plan updates the five-year-old original NHAS, and looks ahead to 2020 as a guide for collective action of agencies, community-based organizations, the scientific, medical communities and coalitions of people living with HIV in the United States. The National HIV/AIDS Strategy: Updated to 2020 includes changes to its steps and recommended actions, new and revised quantitative indicators, and newly integrated action plans.
Since the initial National HIV/AIDS Strategy was released in 2010 we’ve seen remarkable progress: advances in treatment as prevention, the implementation of the Affordable Care Act , FDA approval and the uptake of PrEP, which stands for pre-exposure prophylaxis.
The Updated Strategy offers a comprehensive and clear plan to address continued disparities among gay and bisexual men of all races and ethnicities, especially black gay and bi men, heterosexual black women and men, Latinos and Latinas, people who inject drugs, people age 13 to 24, and transgender women. It focuses on four critical areas:
- Widespread testing and linkage to care, enabling people living with HIV to access treatment early.
- Broad support for people living with HIV to remain engaged in comprehensive care, including support for treatment adherence.
- Universal viral suppression among people living with HIV.
- Full access to comprehensive PrEP services for those whom it is appropriate and desired, with support for medication adherence for those using PrEP.
Input for the NHAS was gathered through a series of listening sessions held across the country as well as an online portal soliciting ideas. White House Office of National AIDS Policy Director Douglas Brooks visited Harlem United and New York City one year ago.
An updated NHAS – along with New York State’s own Blueprint to End AIDS – provide clear path forward to tackle and end AIDS.
