amFAR Commemorates First Anniversary of National HIV/AIDS Strategy
Important reforms are being implemented, but expanded efforts are needed to secure access to services and protect Medicaid and health reform
NEW YORK, July 13, 2011—amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, on Wednesday commemorated the first anniversary of President Obama’s National HIV/AIDS Strategy and called for continued implementation of reforms proposed as part of the strategy.
The strategy, unveiled last July 13, sets goals for reducing HIV incidence; increasing access to care; and reducing health-related disparities in the domestic epidemic. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 1.1 Americans are living with HIV or AIDS, and an estimated 56,000 become newly infected with HIV each year.
CEG Places Ads in Political Newspapers, Marking Anniversary of NHAS
We recently posted a statement endoresed by 142 organizations that reaffirms support for the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy and lays out some principles we think are important to success. In recognition of the one-year anniversary of NHAS, the Washington, DC based organization Community Education Group (CEG) has posted ads in political newspapers Politico and Roll Call with an image of the statement and a list of endorsers! You can view the ads here...and here respectively.
142 organizations: Keep the Momentum of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy
One year into the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, the following statement reaffirms support for the goals of the Strategy and lays out some principles we think are important to success. A big thanks to the 142 organizations who endorsed the statement.
The National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) has become a catalyst for progressive change that has already begun to improve the United States’ approach to ending our HIV epidemic. We strongly support NHAS goals to lower the rate of new HIV infections, improve access to care and care outcomes, and reduce health disparities in the epidemic. People across the country are responding to the Strategy’s vision of a more effective, equitable and outcomes-oriented response to AIDS.
AIDS.gov: HHS consults community on funding to implement the Strategy
Many of you asked the $64,000 questions when the National HIV/AIDS Strategy was released: "How's it going to be funded?"
You asked, and President Obama responded. In the budget the President proposed for next federal fiscal year, the Administration asked Congress to set aside 1% of the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) HIV funding for Strategy implementation.
In June 2011, HHS brought together community and government stakeholders recommendations how the implementation funding should be used. A top HHS official, Dr. Ron Valdisari, posted an extensive summary of the meeting over at AIDS.gov. Here's a snippet:
Proposed National HIV/AIDS Strategy Implementation Fund
By Ronald Valdiserri, M.D., M.P.H., Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, Infectious Diseases, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Because the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) is a priority endeavor for the U.S. government, when the President released his Fiscal Year 2012 (FY12) budget proposal in February of this year, he proposed a special fund to support the implementation of the Strategy. If approved, the FY12 Budget Proposal authorizes the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to transfer one percent of the department’s domestic HIV/AIDS spending to promote new, collaborative efforts in support of the goals of the NHAS. If approved in the Congressional appropriations process, this would establish a fund of approximately $60 million dollars that would be administered by the Assistant Secretary for Health whose office would work closely with HHS operating divisions, staff offices, and community partners to determine the most strategic ways to use these resources to move us closer toward achieving the goals of the NHAS.
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Consultation on Possible Uses of NHAS Implementation Fund
To begin the process of seeking input, on June 21, 2011, HHS convened some 40 stakeholders (PDF 64KB) from inside and outside of government to discuss principles and priorities that should be considered in the event that these resources become available in FY12. Mr. Jeffrey Crowley, Director of the White House’s Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP), noted at the start of the meeting that the idea for an NHAS Implementation Fund grew out of requests from the community to ensure that resources are available to implement the Strategy.
One-Year Anniversary of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy: Reflections and Next Steps
The National Latino AIDS Action Network (NLAAN) invites you to join us for a timely
conversation with Dr. Ron Valdiserri, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, Infectious Diseases, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, who will share reflections and next steps for the implementation of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy.
Date: Tue, Jul 12, 2011
Time: 03:00 PM EDT
On July 13, 2010, the White House released the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS). This ambitious plan serves as the nation’s HIV/AIDS roadmap with clear and measurable targets to be achieved by 2015. The development of the NHAS is important because it is an effort to reflect on what is and is not working in order to increase the outcomes that we receive for our public and private investments. The Strategy is intended to refocus our existing efforts and deliver better results to the American people within current funding levels, as well as make the case for new investments.