Administration to unveil first national HIV/AIDS strategy today

The Washington Post: "The White House will unveil the first formal national HIV/AIDS strategy on Tuesday, a plan that aims to reduce the number of new cases by 25 percent in the next five years, officials said. Noting that the number of new infections in the United States has been static -- and that the number of people living with HIV is growing -- the new policy would direct more resources toward African Americans and gay and bisexual men. Latinos and substance abusers should also be a priority, the report says. … The new HIV/AIDS policy has been summarized in a 60-page report that credits the Bush administration for its efforts to address the disease but also laments the country's general lack of concern" (Kornblut, 7/13).

The Associated Press: "The report is the result of more than a year of discussions between the administration, state and local officials, advocacy groups and the private sector. While the strategy calls for improved coordination among federal agencies, it doesn't identify any new government money to implement the strategy. Approximately 56,000 people in the U.S. become infected each year with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, and more than 1.1. million Americans are living with the HIV, according to the White House. … The strategy also aims to copy some of the steps credited with spurring the success of a Bush-era policy to fight AIDS in hard-hit developing countries. That includes setting specific targets and mandating coordination among different government agencies to guard against missteps and wasted, duplicated efforts" (Pace, 7/13).

USA Today: "By 2015, the White House seeks to: Reduce new HIV infections by 25%; Cut the rate of the virus' spread by 30%, from five people a year infected by every 100 living with HIV to 3.5 per 100; Increase from 79% to 90% the percentage of HIV-positive people who know they're infected with the virus so they can get treatment" (Sternberg, 7/13).

CNN: "The announcement comes less than a week after a group of scientists published a study saying they had made a key discovery that could help in the development of an HIV vaccine. Scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said last week that they had found three human antibodies that neutralize more than 90 percent of the current circulating HIV-1 strains. … But even with promising scientific advances, the number of people living with HIV infection in the United States is higher than ever before, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention" (7/13).

Reuters: "The United States currently spends more than $19 billion a year on domestic HIV prevention, care, and research. The plan says government agencies need to look for the best ways to prevent infection that are 'cost-efficient, produce sustainable outcomes, and have the greatest impact in preventing HIV in specific communities'" (Fox, 7/13).

The Los Angeles Times: "Obama's strategy includes broad goals as well as dozens of directives for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and other federal agencies. Those steps include developing standards to evaluate care, investigating community programs to see whether they're effective and simplifying grant applications. The Bureau of Prisons would expand HIV screening of inmates, and the Justice Department would fast-track investigations of discrimination involving those with HIV. … David Munar, vice president of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, praised it as a potentially 'seminal moment' in the country's efforts to combat HIV/AIDS" (Levey, 7/13). 

Congress Daily: "The strategy is expected to include recommendations for the reallocation of federal funds to states and populations with the highest prevalence of cases, a plan getting a mixed reaction from advocacy groups. … Many states with lower numbers of HIV/AIDS patients are largely rural states, like Iowa, New Mexico and Arkansas. … [North Carolina AIDS Director Jacquelyn Clymore] said despite the possible recommendations to reallocate funds, she anticipated the national strategy would address gaps in funding for treatment and prevention in rural areas, specifically the South, because a stated goal of the strategy is to address health disparities" (McCarthy, 7/13).

Kaiser Health News posted the president's introductory letter, the full National HIV/AIDS strategy and the Implementation Plan (7/13).

And, in earlier coverage, KHN reported: The HHS announcement comes "as state programs that provide AIDS drugs to patients with HIV grapple with growing waiting lists for the drugs. More than 2,000 patients are on the waiting lists. HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced July 8 that she will provide $25 million to states to help pay for the drug treatments, which average more than $12,000 a year. Even so, some advocacy groups said the aid 'falls short' of the need. … The administration's announcement also corresponds with the 2010 International AIDS Conference" in Vienna, Austria (Steadman, 7/13).