HHS Releases National Strategic Plan to End HIV Epidemic
The two most recent administrations prioritized (https://voice.ons.org/advocacy/ending-hiv-epidemic-a-priority-for-trump-administration) ending the HIV epidemic, which has claimed the lives of more than 700,000 (https://nihrecord.nih.gov/2020/01/10/push-end-hivaids-community-vital) Americans since the virus was first identified in the 1980s. To follow those initial efforts, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released (https://www.hiv.gov/federal-response/hiv-national-strategic-plan/hiv-plan-2021-2025) a strategic roadmap to end the HIV epidemic and reduce new HIV infections by 90% by 2030.
“The HIV National Strategic Plan builds on the lessons learned and progress made over the past decade under the nation’s first two national HIV/AIDS strategies,” Kaye Hayes, MPA, acting director of the Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy, said (https://www.hiv.gov/blog/hhs-releases-hiv-national-strategic-plan-roadmap-ending-hiv-epidemic-us).
HHS’s latest roadmap will focus (https://files.hiv.gov/s3fs-public/HIV-National-Strategic-Plan-2021-2025.pdf) on four areas:
- Prevent new HIV infections.
- Improve HIV-related health outcomes.
- Reduce HIV-related health disparities.
- Achieve integrated and coordinated efforts that address the HIV epidemic among all partners and stakeholders.
To reduce new infections, HHS is assessing the current state of HIV-positive youth with the Building Futures for Youth Living With HIV (http://hab.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/hab/About/improvingcareyouthhiv.pdf) and partnering with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to spread patient education through the AIDS Education and Training Center (http://aidsetc.org/resource/enhancing-hiv-prevention-people-living-hiv-prevention-positives-infographic). To improve patient outcomes, HHS is funding (https://hab.hrsa.gov/about-ryan-white-hivaids-program/national-hivaids-strategy-updated-2020) education and collaboration for the HIV healthcare workforce. To address and reduce disparities, HHS is funding improved care in minority communities and developing digital tools so HIV-positive patients can participate (https://hab.hrsa.gov/about-ryan-white-hivaids-program/national-hivaids-strategy-updated-2020) in planning bodies, boards of directors, and other related organizations. HHS is also integrating (https://hab.hrsa.gov/about-ryan-white-hivaids-program/national-hivaids-strategy-updated-2020) housing data into HIV healthcare data systems to enhance care coordination and delivery.
HIV and AIDS prevention is cancer prevention (https://voice.ons.org/advocacy/community-support-makes-a-difference-in-hivaids-treatment). Oncology nurses can advocate for HIV-positive patients with cancer to ensure that every population is represented in clinical trials (https://voice.ons.org/news-and-views/hiv-positive-patients-with-cancer-need-to-be-included-in-clinical-drug-trials), federal budgets (https://voice.ons.org/advocacy/opioid-cancer-aids-and-biomedical-research-are-fiscal-year-2020-budget-request-priorities), and local communities (https://voice.ons.org/advocacy/community-support-makes-a-difference-in-hivaids-treatment).