HIV, STI, Viral Hepatitis, and Harm Reduction Digest
May 6, 2022
Highlights of the Week
Take Advantage of Early-Bird Rates for NACCHO 360!
Early-bird registration for NACCHO 360 is available until June 6 for both in-person and virtual attendees. NACCHO 360, which will be held in Atlanta on July 19 - 21, will bring together public health professionals, practices, and disciplines in an interactive setting designed to facilitate sharing and learning. Attendees will have the opportunity to reconnect with their colleagues, process the COVID experience, plan for the future, and learn practical tools, concepts, and strategies to address ongoing public health challenges. Register today!
New Funding Opportunities for Working with Pharmacies and Retail Health Clinics to Provide Sexual Health Services
NACCHO, with support from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Division of STD Prevention (DSTDP), is pleased to announce two new funding opportunities for health departments to partner with other healthcare entities to expand STI and HIV services, treatment, and care in their communities.
- Leveraging Pharmacies for STI Services and Care – Due May 27, 2022
- Leveraging Retail Health Clinics for STI/HIV Services and Care for Underserved Minorities -Due May 31, 2022
Job Opening: Project Data Manager, Syringe Services Program
University of Washington is looking for a Data Manager to support harm reduction/SSP projects. This position will be the data lead for a CDC-funded multi-site survey of people who use drugs (Project NEXUS) and provide support for other surveys and technical assistance work. They will be responsible for overseeing data management, cleaning, analysis, and dissemination. This is a great opportunity for someone who is eager to crunch numbers, write papers, and share findings back to the harm reduction community. Please note: the position is only funded through July 2023 (end of grant). University of Washington is open to hiring folks in the Seattle area or other parts of the US (to work remotely).
HIV, STI, Viral Hepatitis, and Harm Reduction Announcements
Hepatitis Network for Education and Testing (HepNET)
NACCHO, in partnership with NASTAD and the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable, are launching the Hepatitis Network for Education and Testing (HepNET) with a goal of identifying and addressing the unmet needs of people who inject drugs (PWID) and improving their access to viral hepatitis education, prevention, testing, linkage to care, and treatment. Please join us on May 12th for a Town Hall to support the launch and implementation of HepNET.
STD QCS Planning Toolkit Evaluation
Have you accessed the STD QCS Planning Toolkit? NACCHO wants to hear from you! Take this short survey to provide feedback on how you may have used the toolkit and recommend improvements to make it as useful as possible (or, tell us why you haven’t used it!). The STD QCS Planning Toolkit was released in January 2021 and has been used widely in jurisdictions across the U.S.
HRSA’s Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program COVID-19 Data Report Available
Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) is pleased to release the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) COVID-19 Data Report, January 20, 2020 through September 30, 2021. This report is HRSA HAB’s comprehensive publication of national RWHAP data collected in relation to RWHAP FY 2020 CARES Act funding. Data from two sources are included in this report: (a) COVID-19 Data Report (CDR) reporting system for January 20, 2020, through September 30, 2021, and (b) RWHAP FY 2020 CARES Act close-out progress reports.
HIV, STI, Hepatitis, and Harm Reduction News and Announcements
2022 STD Prevention Conference: “Virtually Possible: New Horizons in Sexual Health”
The 2022 STD Prevention Conference will be held virtually September 19-22, 2022. Early bird registration ends July 20, 2022. Visit the conference website in the link above for registration rates, frequently asked questions, and more information.
June 27th is National HIV Testing Day (NHTD), a day to emphasize and encourage HIV testing. The theme for 2022 is “HIV Testing is Self-care.” The World Health Organization defines self-care as “the ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider.” The NHTD messaging will emphasize that HIV testing can be free, easy, fast, and confidential. HIV self-tests can be done when and where an individual chooses. Stay tuned for more info!
From the Field: Research, Policy, and Project Updates
Maryland Bill Authorizing Pharmacist Administration of Injectable STI Treatment
This bill defines “injectable medications for treatment of sexually transmitted infections” for purposes of authorizing pharmacists to administer the medications; and requiring certain insurers, nonprofit health service plans, and health maintenance organizations, the Maryland Medical Assistance Program, and the Maryland Children’s Health Program to provide certain coverage for the administration of the medication by a pharmacist.
President Biden’s FY22 budget request calls for a $41 billion investment for national drug program agencies, a $669.9 million increase over the FY 2021 enacted level. This funding announcement caused an uproar in political arenas. The O’Neill Institute released a response of support on Biden’s FY22 budget and highlighted that harm reduction is an essential first step in engaging people who use drugs in healthcare and treatment services and must be the anchor for effective national drug policy.
Hepatitis B Foundation and Hep B Release New Fact Sheet on COVID-19 and Hepatitis
Hepatitis B Foundation and Hep B United have created a new patient-focused fact sheet on the co-administration of the COVID-19 vaccine with the hepatitis A, hepatitis B, or Flu vaccines.
In the News
- The CDC needs the public’s help to reverse the upward trend in STIs - Popular Science
- Midstate health centers encourage STD testing after cases increase in 2020 - WHTM
- Here’s why STDs continued to surge during the pandemic -WCNC
- Virginia’s rising syphilis cases are another bellwether of a strained public health system - Virginia Mercury
Events and Webinars
Maven for STD Surveillance User Group Meeting
Registration open.
May 19th 3:00 – 4:00pm ET
Hosted by: NCSD and CDC
Viral Hepatitis: Advances in Care and Treatment- Closing the Gap!
Registration open.
May 19th 2:00pm ET – 3:30pm ET
Hosted by: HRSA
NBS for STD Surveillance User Group Meeting
Registration open.
May 25th 3:00 – 4:00pm ET
Hosted by: NCSD and CDC
Reducing Stigma and Improving Our Work with People Who Use Drugs
Registration open.
June 7th 2:00 – 3:00pm ET
Hosted by: NCSD
