The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) is seeking nominations of qualified individuals to be considered for appointment as members of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA). The White House asks PACHA to provide, on an ongoing basis, recommendations on how to effectively implement the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, as well as monitor the Strategy's implementation. WHAT IS PACHA? The Presidential Advisory … [Read more...]
INFANTS BORN TO HIV+ MOTHERS: NEED FOR A FRESH LOOK
March 9, 2013 by
On Monday, March 4, 2013, at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in Atlanta, Dr. Deborah Persaud of the Johns Hopkins University presented an intriguing case study of a child who by all measures seems to be cured of HIV infection. This single case has sparked significant conversation, debate, and optimism. This blog highlights the important questions that have naturally arisen from this case and examines aspects of the research agenda that now need to be … [Read more...]
HHS celebrates Black History Month, also reminded of troubling Hepatitis C disparities
February 28, 2013 by
As we celebrate Black History Month, here at HHS we are also reminded of troubling hepatitis C disparities that persist in the African American community. African Americans are twice as likely to be infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) compared to the general U.S. population, according to the CDC. While African Americans represent only 12 percent of the U.S. population, they make up roughly 22 percent of the estimated 3.2 million persons with chronic HCV infection. Moreover, chronic … [Read more...]
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on World AIDS Day
December 1, 2012 by
Statement from HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on World AIDS Day On December 1, World AIDS Day, we remember those we have lost, but also celebrate the remarkable progress made in the global fight against HIV/AIDS. When the first World AIDS Day was observed in 1988, we could not imagine the end of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. For those diagnosed with HIV infection, the future was bleak. This year, the picture is very different. Scientific advances in understanding HIV, and an increasing number … [Read more...]
Ronald Valdiserri, M.D., M.P.H. – CDC ECHPP Plans Released
November 17, 2011 by
Earlier this year, AIDS.gov reported that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had launched a website for its Enhanced Comprehensive HIV Prevention Planning . (ECHPP) Initiative, which provided $11.6 million in FY2011 for enhanced planning and coordination activities in the 12 Metropolitan and Statistical Areas (MSA) accounting for an estimated 44% of U.S. AIDS cases in 2007. Today the CDC added to its listing of executive summaries by posting the … [Read more...]
HHS, Models: Tools to Improve Decision Making about HIV
August 1, 2011 by
For those of us who work in the HIV/AIDS field, the month of July was dominated by exciting HIV prevention news coming out of the International AIDS Society meeting in Rome. Results from the HPTN 052 study showed that early, compared to delayed, antiretroviral treatment resulted in a 96% reduction in HIV transmission to uninfected partners. The TDF2 study conducted by CDC in partnership with the Botswana Ministry of Health, found that a once-daily pill containing two anti-HIV drugs … [Read more...]
Kathleen Sebelius, HHS on the Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act
July 27, 2011 by
Statement by Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on the Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act Today, I join my fellow Americans in celebrating the anniversary of the passage of a great civil rights achievement, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). As we look back at the progress we’ve made in the last 21 years, we must also look forward and recommit ourselves to achieving the law’s goals of ensuring “equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and … [Read more...]
HIV Infections Among Gay and Bisexual Men and Transgender Women
March 25, 2011 by
Working with the Community to Reduce New HIV Infections Among Gay and Bisexual Men and Transgender Women “The United States cannot reduce the number of HIV infections nationally without better addressing HIV among gay and bisexual men.” So declares the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS), boldly and accurately. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, gay men make up approximately 2 percent of the U.S. population, but account for 53 percent of all new HIV infections. That … [Read more...]
HHS.gov/Recovery Updates – Implementation Summary
March 24, 2011 by
HHS.gov/Recovery Updates Implementation Summary You are subscribed to HHS Recovery Act Plans & Reports for U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services. As of March 18, 2011 Total HHS Recovery Funds Obligated (through grants and contracts): $118.2 Billion Total Gross Outlays (spent by recipients): $106.5 Billion Cumulative Recovery Act Medicaid FMAP State draw downs total about $83.1 billion. They represent the outlaying of increased FMAP obligations made through Dec. 31, 2010, … [Read more...]
