Trump Administration Announces Efforts to End the U.S. HIV Epidemic

President Trump has made an announcement to end the
U.S. HIV epidemic by the year 2030. However, officials have declined to disclose the amount of new funding that would be dedicated to the aim. They said that their goal is to reduce new HIV infections in the U.S. by 75% in the next five years and 90% in the next ten years by targeting efforts in 48 counties and rural communities in seven states ("hot spots" that account for more than half of the epidemic).

Some consumer and advocacy groups questioned the administration's announcement, which expands on efforts begun by the Obama administration to make the U.S. "a place where new HIV infections are rare." They also say that the Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar's move to suspend the acquisition of new fetal tissue for research has complicated the quest to find a cure for HIV. Mary Alice Carter, executive director of Equity Forward, a reproductive rights advocacy group, comments, "[Azar] says he supports tackling HIV/AIDS in the United States, but HHS is dismantling research for cures at the behest of the antiabortion lobby." Moreover, consumer and advocacy groups criticize the administration's decision to divert millions of dollars intended for medical programs such as HIV/AIDS services at the NIH and CDC to pay for housing the increasing number of migrant children detained at the border.

More than 1 million people in the U.S. are living with HIV, and about 40,000 become infected every year. Only 10% of the 1.2 million that should be on drugs to prevent infection are on the regimen, known as pre-exposure prophylaxis. According to scientists and policy makers, the new drugs and tools developed in past few years have made it possible to end the HIV epidemic by reducing its spread to low levels.  To achieve this goal, those with HIV must get treatment that will not only save their lives but also stop them from spreading the virus. In addition, AIDS drugs must be provided to people who are susceptible to infection, as the drugs reduce the risk of infection by about 97%.


Source: https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-administration-to-target-hotspots-to-end-u-s-hiv-epidemic-11549495049


-- Caroline Aung