At a glance
CDC’s National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention’s (NCHHSTP) Strategic Plan 2022-2026 articulates the vision, mission, core values, guiding principles, strategies, and overarching goals to influence and enhance our programs.
Mission
Prevent infections, morbidity, mortality, health inequities, and stigma associated with HIV, viral hepatitis, STIs, and tuberculosis in the United States
Core Values
Excellence
Achieve the highest standard of performance in public health science, program, communications, and policy. Value the scientific method, seek truth, and use evidence to guide decision-making. Devote time and resources to recruit, train, and support employees to perform at the highest levels. Encourage and facilitate knowledge-sharing to build expertise and better serve the nation. Foster an environment that encourages innovation and values new ideas
Equity
Enhance research, policy, and program efforts to advance health equity and address disparities in the diseases and infections addressed by the Center.
Diversity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Belonging
Recruit and maintain a highly trained, diverse, and professional workforce that reflects the communities we serve. Ensure equal opportunity to be engaged in workforce experiences and to contribute to achieving NCHHSTP’s mission. Value diversity in race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, ability, and other demographic characteristics; culture, differences of opinion, and lived experience.
Integrity
Be honest, accurate, and consistent in sharing information and communicating with colleagues, the public, and elected officials. Adhere to the highest standards of conduct and be courageous in correcting errors. Promote the highest standards of ethics in all Center activities. Be a diligent and accountable steward of public resources in achieving NCHHSTP’s public health mission.
Transparency
Ensure staff, partners, and the public have timely access to accurate and complete information.
Guiding Principles
High Impact Prevention
Maximize impact through research and implementation of cost-effective, scalable, and feasible evidence-based interventions, programs, and policies.
Cross-Sector Collaboration
Enhance partnerships, coordination, and community engagement to amplify reach, develop and implement effective policies, and address the social determinants of health. Acknowledge that overlapping populations are affected by HIV, STIs, viral hepatitis, and Tuberculosis, and recognize the value of syndemic approaches to serving them.
Equity
Embed equity principles in the design, implementation, and evaluation of research, surveillance, data analysis, and programmatic and policy strategies.
Strategies
Maximize the Use of Surveillance and Other Data to Drive Program Improvement
Increase efficiency in analysis and interpretation of surveillance, program, and other data. Regularly assess, and revise as needed, current surveillance elements. Refine governance, management, and protection of data. Disseminate and use data to inform program delivery and improvement.
Support Scientific Discovery, Implementation Research, and Evaluation of Interventions
Promote implementation and evaluation science, as well as applied research, to identify opportunities for innovation and to disseminate scientifically grounded guidance to the public health and healthcare communities.
Increase Collaboration and Service Integration
Enhance engagement, knowledge sharing, and transparency across internal and external disease programs and partners to maximize the reach and effectiveness of programs and services.
Promote Prevention, Detection, and Treatment through Healthcare Delivery Systems
Collaborate with domestic health care delivery programs and systems and train providers in effort to increase testing, treatment, and prevention of HIV, STIs, viral hepatitis, and TB infections.
Promote Protective Systems and Policies and Increase Knowledge and Adoption of Healthy Behaviors
Support positive behavior change, risk reduction, and protective factors by implementing strategies at the population, community, school, and individual levels.
Use Guidelines and Policy to Improve Public Health
Publish guidelines, recommendations, and best practices to improve the delivery and effectiveness of healthcare and to prevent disease. Develop and disseminate tools, trainings, and resources that support science-based policy and decision-making.
Goals and Indicators
Every year, millions of people in the United States are infected with HIV, viral hepatitis, STIs, or TB, and tens of thousands die from their infection. Most of these infections share commonalities, from modes of transmission to demographic, social, and economic conditions that increase risk. As a prevention leader, NCHHSTP focuses on high impact prevention and control efforts to reduce incidence, morbidity, mortality, and health disparities due to these infections.
The four overarching goals highlighted in this plan are to:
- Reduce Incidence of HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STIs, and Tuberculosis
- Reduce Morbidity and Mortality of HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Infections
- Reduce Disparities and Promote Health Equity
- Achieve Organizational Excellence
Goal 1 Indicators
| Goal 1: Reduce Incidence of HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STIs, and TB | |||
| Indicator | Baseline | Target | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1A: Reduce the annual number of new HIV infections | 34,800 persons (2019) | 9,250 persons (2025) | National HIV Surveillance System (NHSS) |
| 1B: Increase PrEP coverage | 23% of people estimated to have PrEP indications are prescribed PrEP (2020) | 50% of people estimated to have PrEP indications are prescribed PrEP (2025) | Prevention Research Team, HIV Research Branch, Division of HIV Prevention |
| 1C: Reduce the annual estimated number of acute hepatitis B infections | 20,700 persons (2019) | 14,840 persons (2026) | National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) |
| 1D: Reduce the annual estimated number of acute hepatitis C infections | 57,500 persons (2019) | 28,880 persons (2026) | National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) |
| 1E: Reduce the annual rate of reported primary and secondary syphilis infections | 13 per 100,000 population (2020) | 12.7 per 100,000 population (2026) | National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) |
| 1F: Reduce the annual rate of reported TB disease | 2.2 per 100,000 population (2020) | 1.3 per 100,000 population (2026) | National Tuberculosis Surveillance System (NTSS) |
Goal 2 Indicators
| Goal 2: Reduce Morbidity and Mortality of HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Infections | |||
| Indicator | Baseline | Target | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2A: Increase knowledge of HIV status | 87% of people estimated to be living with HIV have received a diagnosis (2019) | 95% of people estimated to be living with HIV have received a diagnosis (2026) | National HIV Surveillance System (NHSS) |
| 2B: Increase viral suppression among persons living with diagnosed HIV | 66% of people living with diagnosed HIV have low viral load (<200 copies/mL) (2019) | 95% of people living with diagnosed HIV have low viral load (<200 copies/mL) (2026) | Medical Monitoring Project (MMP) |
| 2C: Reduce the annual rate of hepatitis B-related deaths | 0.42 per 100,000 population (2019) | 0.33 per 100,000 population (2026) | National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) |
| 2D: Increase proportion of people who have ever had hepatitis C who cleared the infection | 43% of people with hepatitis C were cleared of the infection (2017) | 58% of people with hepatitis C were cleared of the infection (2025) | National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) |
| 2E: Increase annual chlamydia screening in sexually active females aged 16-24 years | 59% of sexually active females aged 16-24 years (2020) | 66% of sexually active females aged 16-24 years (2026) | Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) |
| 2F: Increase the percentage of cases of gonorrhea treated with a CDC-recommended antibiotic regimen | 86% of cases treated with a CDC-recommended antibiotic regimen (2016) | 95% of cases treated with a CDC-recommended antibiotic regimen (2026) | STD Surveillance Network (SSuN) |
| 2G: Following CDC HIV testing recommendations, increase the percentage of STD clinic visits in which patients who are diagnosed with an acute STD and are not known to have HIV infection are tested for HIV | 74% of visits (2016) | 81% of visits (2026) | STD Surveillance Network (SSuN) |
| 2H: Increase LTBI treatment initiation for LTBI-diagnosed close contacts to sputum AFB smear-positive TB cases | 77% of cases (2018) | 94% of cases (2026) | National TB Indicators Project (NTIP) |
| 2I: Increase LTBI treatment completion for LTBI-diagnosed close contacts to sputum AFB smear-positive TB | 78% of cases (2018) | 95% of cases (2026) | National TB Indicators Project (NTIP) |
| 2J: Increase the percentage of sexually experienced high school students ever tested for HIV | 16.8% of sexually experienced high school students (2019) | 17.6% of sexually experienced high school students (2026) | Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) |
| 2K: Increase the percentage of priority schools that provide referrals for one or more sexual health services to students | 42% of schools (August 2021 through January 2022) | 46% of schools (August 2025 through January 2026) | Program Evaluation Reports (PERs) |
1Funded districts “must select at least 10 priority schools, reaching a minimum of 10,000 secondary school students, in which to implement required program activities before diffusing those activities to as many middle and high schools in the district as possible.”
Goal 3 Indicators
| Goal 3: Reduce Disparities and Promote Health Equity | |||
| Indicator | Baseline | Target | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3A: Reduce racial/ethnic disparities in viral suppression among persons with diagnosed HIV | Relative index of disparity of 5.9 (2019)
Absolute index of disparity of 386 (2019) |
Relative index of disparity of 5.1 (2025)
Absolute index of disparity of 359 (2025) |
NCHHSTP Equity Dashboard |
| 3B: Reduce racial/ethnic disparities in incidence per 100,000 population for HIV | Relative index of disparity of 71 (2019)
Absolute index of disparity of 1040 (2019) |
Relative index of disparity of 64 (2025)
Absolute index of disparity of 936 (2019) |
NCHHSTP Equity Dashboard |
| 3C: Reduce racial/ethnic disparities in incidence per 100,000 population for congenital syphilis | Relative index of disparity of 100 (2019)
Absolute index of disparity of 4,866 (2019) |
Relative index of disparity of 95 (2025)
Absolute index of disparity of 4,623 (2025) |
NCHHSTP Equity Dashboard |
| 3D: Reduce racial/ethnic disparities in incidence per 100,000 population for TB disease | Relative index of disparity of 196 (2019)
Absolute index of disparity of 529 (2019) |
Relative index of disparity of 168 (2025)
Absolute index of disparity of 455 (2025) |
NCHHSTP Equity Dashboard |
| 3E: Reduce the percentage of new TB cases among US-born persons that occur among persons who experience homelessness | 12.3% of new TB cases (2015) | 10.5% of new TB cases (2025) | NCHHSTP Equity Dashboard |
| 3F: Reduce the number of new HIV infections among men with infection attributed to male-to-male sexual contact | 25,500 new HIV infections (2015) | 23,100 new HIV infections (2025) | NCHHSTP Equity Dashboard |
| 3G: Reduce the rate of hepatitis C-associated deaths among American Indian and Alaska Native persons | 11.5 per 100,000 population (2015) | 6.45 per 100,000 population (2026) | NCHHSTP Equity Dashboard |
| 3H: Reduce rate of hepatitis C-associated deaths among non-Hispanic Black persons | 8.1 per 100,000 population (2015) | 4.43 per 100,000 population (2026) | NCHHSTP Equity Dashboard |
| 3I: Reduce disparities in condom use during last sexual intercourse between sexual minority male and non-sexual minority male youth | Rate ratio of 11 (2015); Rate difference of 1.28 (2015) | Rate ratio of 8 (2025); Rate difference of 1.19 (2025) | NCHHSTP Equity Dashboard |
Goal 4 Indicators
| Goal 4: Achieve Organizational Excellence | |||
| Indicator | Baseline | Target | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4A: Decrease the vacancy rate in NCHHSTP | 19% vacancy (June 2021) | 15% vacancy (June 2026) | PBMS position report |
| 4B: Increase overall employee engagement index score in NCHHSTP | 70% positive response to questions about the conditions for employee engagement (2019) | >75% positive response to questions about the conditions for employee engagement (2026) | Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey |
| 4C: Increase the encumbrance rate for annual funds reported at the end of the third quarter in NCHHSTP | 104% (June 2021) | 99% (June 2026) | Integrated Resources Information System Budget and Performance Integration (IRIS B&PI) |
| 4D: Implement International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Quality Standards in all NCHHSTP Laboratories | 25% (June 2021) | 100% (October 2024) | CDC Quality Management Implementation Team |
| 4E: Increase the average Enterprise Performance Life Cycle (EPLC) compliance among the four most costly NCHHSTP information technology investments that have a development modernization and enhancement component | 40% compliance (first 3 quarters of FY21) | 80% compliance (FY 2025) | CDC OCIO Enterprise Performance Life Cycle (EPLC) Reports |
| 4F: As part of the HHS Enterprise Performance Life Cycle (EPLC) framework, decrease the number of missed Initiation (A) stage gate reviews during the fiscal year | 4 missed reviews (first 3 quarters of FY21) | ≤1 missed reviews (first 3 quarters of FY2025) | CDC OCIO Enterprise Performance Life Cycle (EPLC) Reports |
2In some years, the targeted overall engagement index score may be higher, based on OPM and HHS/CDC direction.