Leading HIV Experts Convene 2019 National HIV Prevention Conference

March 18, 2019 – Officials advance plan to eliminate HIV epidemic in the U.S.

Architects of the proposed 10-year federal initiative to end the U.S. HIV epidemic will open the 2019 National HIV Prevention Conference on Monday, March 18. Opening session speakers include:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Robert R. Redfield, M.D.
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D.
• Health Resources & Services Administration HIV/AIDS Bureau Associate Administrator, Laura Cheever, M.D.
• CDC National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention Director, Jonathan Mermin, M.D.

The plenary session on Tuesday, March 19 will feature opening remarks from:

• S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex M. Azar II

In support of the conference theme – Getting to No New Infections – the speakers will share their vision and insights on the coordinated federal effort to eliminate HIV in the United States within a decade: Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for AmericaExternal.

“We have the right data, the right tools, and the right leadership to accomplish this goal, but we cannot do it on our own,” said Secretary Azar. “Ending the HIV epidemic in America requires all of us to work together, at the federal, tribal, state, local and community levels, and this week’s conference offers an important opportunity to collaborate on the launch of the President’s initiative.”

 The federal initiativeExternal, first announced during the February 2019 State of the Union address, will provide the hardest hit jurisdictions with the additional technical assistance, technology, and resources required to stop the HIV epidemic in their communities. To begin the effort, the President’s fiscal year (FY) 2020 budget proposes $291 million for HHS in new investments for the Initiative.”

“I have always believed we must see the possible in public health and seize it, and now a goal that once seemed impossible is within reach. We can put an end to the HIV epidemic in the United States,” said Director Redfield. “We have developed the most powerful HIV prevention and treatment tools in history. Now is the time to focus on getting these tools in the hands of the people who need them most.”

Conference presenters will report on the most recent research and programmatic efforts related to the four pillars of the federal HIV elimination strategy:

1. Diagnosing HIV as early as possible after infection – New data will be presented on efforts to expand testing among disproportionately affected populations including gay and bisexual men, people who use drugs, and people who identify as transgender.
2. Treating new HIV infections rapidly and ensuring all people are achieving sustained viral suppression – Reports will be shared on state and national progress to date in linking and retaining people diagnosed with HIV in medical care and achieving viral suppression.
3. Protecting people at risk for HIV using proven prevention approaches like pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a daily pill to prevent HIV – Analyses explore key trends in PrEP usage in the U.S., including increases in the number of health providers who say they have prescribed PrEP and new data addressing the ability of different groups to stay on PrEP after obtaining a prescription.
4. Responding rapidly to growing HIV clusters to stop new infections – State and local health department officials from across the country will share their experiences and best practices for identifying and investigating clusters of new HIV infections.

The conference will feature nearly 600 scientific and programmatic presentations highlighting dynamic approaches to HIV prevention, and the critical roles that different communities have in achieving the vision of getting to no new HIV infections. Organized by CDC, the National HIV Prevention Conference brings together state, local, and tribal health departments, community based organizations, federal agencies, researchers, clinicians, people with HIV, prevention advocates and others to share the latest advancements, strategies, and accomplishments in HIV prevention.

For more information from CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, visit NCHHSTP Newsroom or for more information on the conference visit the 2019 National HIV Prevention conference website.

###

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICESExternal

CDC works 24/7 protecting America’s health, safety and security. Whether diseases start at home or abroad, are curable or preventable, chronic or acute, or from human activity or deliberate attack, CDC responds to America’s most pressing health threats. CDC is headquartered in Atlanta and has experts located throughout the United States and the world.