HIV, STI, Viral Hepatitis, and Harm Reduction Digest
December 20, 2023
NACCHO News and Announcements
DIS Subcommittee Recruitment
Are you a disease intervention specialist (DIS) and interested in the opportunity to work with your national DIS colleagues? If so, join NACCHO’s DIS Subcommittee! This group was recently established under NACCHO’s Subject Matter Expert Workgroup- the HIV, STI, and Viral Hepatitis Workgroup (HSHW) and provides local DIS with the opportunity to frame NACCHO’s DIS work. Through this subcommittee, NACCHO aims to elevate and support the work of DIS through information and resource sharing, as well as peer engagement. This is an excellent opportunity for DIS to bring valuable perspectives and insight from a field that only your workforce knows best!
If interested in this opportunity, please complete the interest form here by the deadline (1/5/24). If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to STI Senior Program Analyst, Daisha Washington.
Congenital Syphilis Community of Practice
Join NACCHO’s Congenital Syphilis (CS) Community of Practice (CoP)! Through this opportunity, local health department staff can engage in collaborative learning and knowledge-sharing activities that enhance their capacity to implement or scale-up interventions to address CS and syphilis among individuals of child-bearing capacity. The CoP is scheduled to resume in February 2024 and is open to any health department staff with interest in working to address congenital syphilis in their community. If interested and to learn more about the CS CoP, visit here. If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to STI Senior Program Analyst, Sonia Almonte.
Sexual Health Services in Jails Webinar (Part I)
Wondering how STIs are being addressed in jail settings? If so, join NACCHO for its “Sexual Health Services in Jails” webinar session on Wednesday, January 10th at 2pm EST as we discuss several jail projects across the country, including Yuba County Health and Human Services, Northern Nevada Public Health, and Orange County Corrections/Health Services Department. During the webinar, we will discuss how these jail projects have been implemented, key staff involved, as well as lessons learned/best practices. If interested, register here.
Sexual Health Services in Jails Webinar (Part II)
Join NACCHO on Wednesday, February 21st at 2pm EST for part two of our Sexual Health Services in Jails series! During this session, we will highlight several jail projects across the country, including Seattle-King County, Pueblo County, Alabama Department of Public Health, and San Francisco Department of Public Health. Similar to the first session, we will discuss how these projects were developed/implemented, key staff involved, as well as lessons learned/best practices. We hope you can join us and if interested, please register here.
HIV, STI, & Hepatitis Resources and News
ONDCP and HHS Joint Letter Regarding Naloxone Access Expansion
On December 8, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued a joint letter to public health departments and health care systems to partner with housing providers, community development organizations, and other housing agencies to help expand access to naloxone and other life-saving overdose reversal medications in the communities they serve.
Virtual Hackathon Winners Design Innovative Solutions to Prevent and Control STIs; $24K Awarded to Five Teams
The winners of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Virtual HACKATHON: Tech & Media Solutions to Reduce Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) were recently announced. Held from Sept. 19 to Oct. 30, the hackathon challenged participants to generate innovative solutions to address the increase in STIs in the U.S. Competing individuals and teams each created either a functional prototype or proof of concept illustrating the feasibility of their solution.
The competition followed an in-person hackathon held in June 2023 in Irvine, California, at which five teams won awards. Both events drew inspiration from the 2021 National Academies consensus report Sexually Transmitted Infections: Adopting a Sexual Health Paradigm, which provides evidence-based guidance and recommendations on how to prevent and control STIs in the United States. The report calls for technology experts from the public and private sectors to collaborate and develop timely and open data systems and artificial intelligence-based mass marketing strategies to advance STI prevention. The report also outlines solutions to the ethical issues surrounding the use of technology to address this public health issue.
The virtual hackathon attracted more than 125 registered competitors from academia, philanthropy, and private industry. Sessions with expert mentors and judges were available for all teams to hone and refine their pitches.
The judges evaluated the competitors’ solutions based on innovation, feasibility, technical complexity, implementation, potential impact and scalability, and presentation. The first-place winner was awarded a $12,000 grant, the second-place winner earned a grant of $6,000, and the third-place winner earned a grant of $2,000. The first, second, and third place grant-winning teams will have the opportunity for ongoing mentorship to further develop and implement their solutions.
In addition, the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) Catalyst Fund on Reproductive Health, Equity, and Society sponsored two innovation prizes of $2,000 each. Along with the grant winners, the NAM prize-winning teams will have the opportunity to publish their work through the NAM’s journal, Perspectives.
To read more about the winners, check out the article here.
New Greater Than x CDC Videos Spotlight on Congenital Syphilis
Over the past decade, the U.S. has seen a sharp increase in congenital syphilis cases. According to recent CDC data, the number of babies born with syphilis in 2022 was nearly 10 times the number in 2012.
Early diagnosis and treatment can prevent transmission to the baby and improve health outcomes for all. Untreated syphilis during pregnancy can cause severe health impacts including miscarriage, stillbirth, or even infant death.
New videos from KFF’s Greater Than and CDC’s Let’s Stop HIV Together feature leading public health experts on what expectant parents need to know about syphilis testing and treatment.
Call for Abstracts: STI Engage 2024
The National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD) invites members and partners to submit abstract proposals for oral presentations, panel, workshop and poster presentations for STI Engage 2024, being held June 2-5, 2024, in Washington D.C.! The deadline to submit a proposal is December 20, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Learn More.
News to Note
How Are Opioid Settlement Funds Being Spent So Far? - HA
Upcoming Opportunities
Ending the Syndemic: Harm Reduction, PrEP and PEP: Preventing HIV
February 27, 2024
Staff serving American Indian & Alaska Native people are invited to participate in the Ending the Syndemic: Harm Reduction, PrEP and PEP: Preventing HIV virtual training. This 2.5-hour virtual training program is designed to aid clinicians in effectively integrating Harm Reduction, Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), and Post-exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) services in Indian Health Service, Tribal and Urban Indian clinics to prevent HIV. Register here.
