This is the first in our series titled "Spectrum Infectious Thursdays," which will highlight pertinent issues in the infectious disease community.
Last week, I attended the Interagency Working Group Community Meeting for the National HIV/AIDS Strategy at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The purpose of the event was to provide the public with an update on progress to date and the process that the interagency working group is following to develop the country's first-ever National HIV/AIDS Strategy.
Hosted by the White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP) and the Office of Public Health and Science (OPHS) at HHS, the meeting brought together approximately 200 attendees from a variety of vantage points - federal agencies, non-profit organizations, and concerned advocates.
President Obama meets with White House Office of National AIDS Policy Director Jeffrey Crowley (Photo Credit: The White House)
- 1. Reduce the number of new HIV infections;
- 2. Increase access to care for people living with HIV and optimize health outcomes; and
- 3. Reduce HIV-related disparities.
The strategy will not be a comprehensive catalog of all of the things the country needs to respond to the HIV epidemic. Rather, it is an opportunity to identify a small number of high payoff action steps that can shift and improve America's response to HIV/AIDS.
Jeffrey Crowley and Christopher Bates, Director of HHS's Office of HIV/AIDS Policy (OHAP), shared key findings from 20 community discussions the working group held last year. More than 4,200 people participated in these town-hall meetings and the personal stories they shared provided valuable first-hand knowledge that will enhance the National HIV/AIDS Strategy. For example, in Jackson, MS, discussions shed light on what it is like to live with HIV in the South, and in Minneapolis the working group conducted site visits to gain a better understanding of the struggles of HIV-positive African immigrants who are working to build new lives in the United States.
As manager of Spectrum's Infectious Disease Practice and a communications professional, I was honored to attend and be an active participant in the conversation surrounding how the strategy will be communicated to the public upon its completion later this year. With the strategy set to include benchmarks to be met ambitiously by 2015, it is imperative that the strategy be presented in an effective and engaging manner to the collective nation - reaching various demographics across a multitude of communications platforms. As stressed throughout the meeting, the realistic implementation of the strategy ultimately depends on the public's participation and support.
For more information on the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, including video of the meeting, visit www.AIDS.gov.
Tags: AIDS, HHS, HIV, obama, White House
Great post -- very informative!