A rumored move by the federal administration would undo one of the signature initiatives from President Trump’s first term and could lead to the resurgence of HIV, a preventable disease.
During the 2019 State of the Union address, President Trump announced his administration’s intention to End the HIV Epidemic (EHE) by collaborating with communities across the country with the highest rates of new infections. Three counties in Ohio were among the 57 jurisdictions where the majority of new HIV infections occurred. Cuyahoga, Franklin, and Hamilton County were tasked with creating and executing a plan to substantially reduce new HIV infections within a decade.
AIDS Funding Collaborative supports HIV/AIDS work in Cuyahoga County
Community Solutions collaborated with Ohio Department of Health and local public health departments to develop EHE plans. In Cuyahoga County, the AIDS Funding Collaborative, housed at Community Solutions and led by an independent steering committee, strengthens the community’s response to HIV/AIDS as a public-private partnership providing coordination, leadership, advocacy, and funding.
Nationwide, new HIV infections are falling most rapidly among younger people.
HIV diagnoses in Ohio and nationally have steadily declined
New diagnoses of HIV are heading in the right direction in Ohio, dropping by twelve percent in five years from the EHE baseline year of 2018 through 2023. Nationwide, new HIV infections are falling most rapidly among younger people. Things are heading in the right direction thanks to efforts to target funding, prioritize working with groups where resources can have the greatest impact, and apply recent scientific discoveries about effective treatments. These activities ramped up during the first Trump Administration with the full support of the President.
Eliminating HIV work within the CDC puts prevention at risk
Now, news reports indicate that the Administration is considering eliminating the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of HIV Prevention. While some of the activities could shift to another federal agency, eliminating the work within the CDC puts HIV testing, prevention, and surveillance at risk. It could lead to a measurable resurgence of this preventable disease.
These programs cannot be picked up by other HIV programs such as Ryan White or supplanted by state or local resources. Advocates are urging the Trump Administration to honor its past commitments to ending the HIV epidemic in the US.
