The O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University has published three new briefs as part of its HIV Policy Project. The briefs focus on federal action and funding necessary to end the HIV epidemic in the United States. Read about the briefs below.
Urgent Action Is Needed in 2021 to End HIV in the United States (May 2021)
In May 2021, the O’Neill Institute released Big Ideas: Urgent Action Is Needed in 2021 to End HIV in the United States, along with an accompanying one-page summary, Big Ideas in Brief: Urgent Action Is Needed in 2021 to End HIV in the United States. As we mark the 40th anniversary of the discovery of the first cases of HIV this June, the United States should celebrate progress on HIV while addressing the challenges that remain. We must acknowledge and seize the opportunity presented by recent efforts to end the domestic HIV epidemic by 2030. The following key actions are needed in 2021 to move the United States toward accomplishing the goals of the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) Initiative: (1) Refine the roadmap to ending HIV by updating the National HIV/AIDS Strategy and bolstering the EHE Initiative; (2) Protect HIV civil and human rights, including by restricting law enforcement access to public health data and modernizing HIV criminal laws; (3) Strengthen HIV health care systems by expanding Medicaid in all states, improving HIV prevention and care for Medicaid beneficiaries, and responding to the neglected needs of people aging with HIV; and (4) Build stronger and more resilient communities, including by supporting the Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA) Program and addressing housing affordability.
Quick Take: Federal Discretionary HIV Funding Is Essential (May 2021)
This Quick Take document discusses how federal discretionary HIV programs contribute to the HIV response in the United States and how increasing funding for these programs is essential. Federal discretionary funding, however, has never been sufficient to meet the needs of all communities heavily impacted by HIV. The Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) Initiative provided the first substantial increase in federal discretionary HIV funding in decades, but current funding still may be insufficient to meet the EHE goal of reducing the number of new HIV transmissions by 90% by 2030. The document also notes that more people will be living and aging with HIV and that the need for prevention services will grow. The United States must maintain its commitment to funding a mix of prevention, care, research, and social services to sustain HIV successes.