What We’ve Done to Address HIV/AIDS in America during the Obama Administration
Despite the progress made since its discovery in the 1980s, HIV is still a major public health issue in America.
- Over 1.2 million Americans are living with HIV today.
- 13% of those living with HIV are still unaware of their status.
- Just over half of people diagnosed with HIV are virally suppressed.
- Over half of all new diagnoses take place in the Southern U.S.
And certain groups are highly and disproportionately affected.
People living with HIV are our brothers and sisters, friends and colleagues, parents, children, teachers, veterans and more.
But unfortunately, even in 2016, many still face barriers, stigma, and discrimination that make HIV prevention or treatment services hard to access.
It’s our job to continue ensuring and providing effective services so they can lead long, healthy, productive lives.
So what has the United States been doing to address HIV?
On July 30, 2015, President Obama signed an Executive Order launching the National HIV/AIDS Strategy: Updated to 2020.
It builds on the 5 years of progress since President Obama released our first, comprehensive National HIV/AIDS Strategy.
The Updated Strategy integrates the incredible scientific advances and game-changing policies that have taken place during the Obama Administration:
The Strategy is our national roadmap to slowing the epidemic and improving the lives of people living with HIV through a comprehensive response in 2016 and through 2020.
ICYMI, here’s a recap of major accomplishments to improve HIV prevention, treatment, care, and research during the Obama Administration:
In 2009, President Obama reauthorized the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program by signing the Ryan White Treatment Extension Act.
And today, the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program serves over 500,000 people, or half of all Americans living with HIV:
On January 4, 2010, the United States ended its 22-year ban on entry of people living with HIV, thanks to persistent community advocacy and bipartisan effort begun under President Bush and completed by President Obama.
As a direct result, we not only hosted the 2012 International AIDS Conference in Washington, D.C. — the first such conference that the United States hosted since 1990 — but also helped reduce stigma and improved the lives of those living with HIV, their friends and family.
In 2010, President Obama signed into law the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which has quite simply transformed health care access.
Because of the ACA:
In 2011, President Obama announced $35 million in emergency funds for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program, whose waiting list peaked at over 9,000 people living with HIV.
On World AIDS Day 2013, the President announced that all ADAP waiting lists were cleared.
In 2013, ONAP released two important policy documents following two Executive Actions signed by President Obama:
- Presidential Memorandum establishing a Federal Interagency Working Group on the Intersection of HIV/AIDS, Violence against Women & Girls, and Gender-related Health Disparities
- Executive Order establishing the HIV Care Continuum Initiative
These initiatives resulted in numerous new Federal programs to improve the way agencies work together, with their communities, and ultimately HIV health outcomes, including:
In November 2013, President Obama signed the HIV Organ Policy Equity (HOPE) Act. This bipartisan legislation ended the ban on research of organ transplanation from a donor with HIV to a recipient with HIV.
As a result, earlier this year, the first-ever organ transplants between people with HIV became a reality:
President Obama also, twice, authorized the use of Federal funds for syringe services programs.
In December 2009, President Obama signed into law a modification to the longstanding ban on most Federal funding for needle exchange programs, giving us more opportunities to stop the spread of HIV and other infections among people who inject drugs. Unfortunately, in 2012, Congress reinstituted that ban.
But, in December 2015, following a year that included an HIV and hepatitis C outbreak in Scott County, Indiana, a bipartisan effort resulted in the Fiscal Year 2016 Omnibus spending bill which now allows local jurisdictions to petition CDC to use Federal funds for syringe services programs.
President Obama said that an AIDS-free generation is within reach.
And has repeated that vision every year since:
This vision is possible because of the many advances we’ve made.
Three major studies unequivocally demonstrated the benefits of HIV treatment:
SMART trial: people diagnosed with HIV should stay on uninterrupted treatment.
HPTN 052 trial: starting treatment immediately after diagnosis dramatically reduced the risk of transmitting HIV.
START trial: starting treatment early prevents AIDS-related and other diseases.
In 2012, the FDA approved PrEP. In 2014, the U.S. Public Health Service released clinical practice guidelines for prescribing PrEP.
And since then, the community at large has been working to spread the word to key populations and health providers that PrEP is available and a key prevention option for people at risk for HIV infection.
That’s why these are the 4 overarching goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy:
And these are the 4 key areas of focus needed to achieve these goals:
These are possible because our investments in research, development, science and innovation have paid off.
Dr. Tony Fauci has said:
That’s why the National HIV/AIDS Strategy’s indicators of progress by 2020 are:
So, since we released the Updated Strategy, a lot has happened.
Community organizations expressed their support and dedication to the Strategy’s successful implementation.
ONAP released a Spanish translation, the Federal Action Plan, and Community Action Plan Framework.
Agencies have been working hard to implement their action items, many of which have already been completed:
This year marked the 35th anniversary of the first cases of AIDS.
We’ve come a long way.
And, part of that, we’re proud to say, can be demonstrated through President Obama’s commitment to opening the White House to more people than ever before.
Bending away from silence, shame, and stigma, has allowed the White House to be a place to foment inclusion, conversation, and resilience over the last 8 years.
During the Obama Administration, ONAP is proud to have convened and hosted the first-ever White House meetings on HIV and black men, aging, women and girls, the southern U.S., gay and bisexual men, transgender community, and stigma.
But, our work is not over:
The progress report also includes 3 new developmental indicators:
Overall, progress is being made in the fight against HIV, nationally, in key groups, and in each of the Strategy’s goals. The data also shows that we aren’t seeing progress on some indicators, and that some disparities are widening.
For indicators that did not meet their annual target, we must look carefully at the data and our actions to consider what needs to be scaled up, intensified, targeted, or changed.
Our vision is 2020. We can do this.
