The Health Resources and Services Administration has unveiled its new plan to help end the HIV/AIDS epidemic by 2030. "Ending the Epidemic: A Plan for America," will use new data and tools available to reduce new HIV infections in the United States by 75 percent in five years and by 90 percent by 2030.
What's the plan?
The ten-year plan, beginning in 2020, will aim to reduce new infections to less than 3,000 a year by 2030. In order to achieve this goal, the following strategies will be used, many of which are already currently implemented:
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Diagnose all people with HIV as early as possible.
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Treat HIV rapidly after diagnosis, and effectively, in all people with HIV to help them get and stay virally suppressed.
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Prevent people at risk for using proven prevention interventions, including Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and syringe service programs (SSPs).
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Respond quickly to potential HIV outbreaks to get needed prevention and treatment services to people who need them.
New techniques and research methods
As HRSA works to end the epidemic, new techniques and data collecting methods will be used. As part of HRSA's Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program and Health Center Program, new laboratory methods and disease control techniques will be utilized to help health departments detect geographic areas where HIV may be spreading most quickly. This technique is known as "cluster detection," and enables community partners to quickly develop and implement strategies to stop ongoing transmission.
Apicha CHC is a federally funded health center that is part of the Health Center Program and is funding through Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program for HIV Care Coordination and will help end the epidemic through HRSA's plan.