Ending the HIV Epidemic Newsletter
NASTAD, in collaboration with the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE), and the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD), distributes a monthly newsletter to Phase 1 Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America (EHE) jurisdictions. The newsletter informs recipients of EHE-related policy updates, communications from federal partners, success stories, and other related EHE information. As the CDC PS19-1906 National Partner and HRSA-20-089 Systems Coordinator Provider recipients, NASTAD also launched an EHE website to house programmatic updates, share strategies and outcomes from Phase 1 jurisdictions, and connect health departments with the community. For questions, comments, or content contributions, please contact Mike Weir.
Hill Happenings
FY2025 Appropriations
Appropriators are working to advance fiscal year 2025 (FY2025) spending proposals following the completion of the FY2024 package on March 23. On April 11, newly appointed House Appropriations Committee (HAC) Chair Tom Cole (R-OK-04) released programmatic and language request guidance for FY2025, enabling member offices to submit funding requests for federal programs. On April 26, Rep. Cole released additional guidance for programmatic requests, setting a May 1 deadline for submissions. The programmatic funding and language requests submitted by Member offices will be compiled to form the first draft of the FY2025 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) funding bill. Rep. Cole has signaled that he wants to work quickly to close out this year’s spending process, but FY2025 negotiations may be complicated by lingering partisan disagreements and the statutory spending caps put in place by the bipartisan debt limit compromise.
NASTAD will continue to monitor the congressional appropriations process and advocate for the highest possible funding for HIV, hepatitis, and drug user health programs.
NASTAD Calls on Congress to Increase Funding for Domestic HIV/AIDS Programs
On April 16, NASTAD and the Federal AIDS Policy Partnership (FAPP) called on Congress to increase funding for domestic HIV/AIDS programs. The coalition highlighted the gains made over the past decades to prevent HIV transmission and mortality, including the success of DAA (direct acting agents) treatment, PrEP for HIV prevention, and syndemic approaches to care, and urged lawmakers to protect investments in FY2025. In particular, the coalition requested increased funds for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program and Community Health Centers, the Indian Health Service (IHS), and National Institutes of Health (NIH) Center for AIDS Research.
NASTAD Calls on Congress to support the Community Health Worker Access Act
On April 8, NASTAD joined over 270 community health workers (CHW) and public health organizations and called on Congress to support the Community Health Worker Access Act (S. 3892). The bill would establish provider reimbursement and patient access without copays for two new categories of CHW services in the Medicare program. Additionally, the bill would create an enhanced Medicaid Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) for CHW services. These payment structure modifications would strengthen the CHW workforce and improve the delivery of coordinated, culturally competent, and whole-person care offered by CHWs, including HIV and viral hepatitis services.
NASTAD Calls on Congress to Fund CDC, HRSA in FY2025
On March 26, NASTAD and the CDC Coalition called on Congress to provide strong funding for the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and its programs in the FY2025 spending bill. The coalition highlighted CDC’s role in combating health threats and epidemics, including HIV and viral hepatitis, and developing a strong public health workforce and disease surveillance infrastructure. Notably, 80% of CDC funding supports public health and prevention activities through state, tribal, local and territorial health organizations and agencies, national public health partners and academic institutions.
Additionally, on April 1, NASTAD and the Friends of HRSA Coalition called on Congress to provide strong funding for programs housed under the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in the FY2025 spending bill. HRSA operates key health programs serving people with HIV or viral hepatitis, including federally qualified community health centers and the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program. The coalition highlighted HRSA’s role in improving the health of people at highest risk for poor health outcomes by increasing access to quality, affordable care across its many programs.
NASTAD Calls on Congress to Fund Global LGBTQI+ Programs in FY2025
On April 1, NASTAD joined a coalition of over 100 organizations and called on Congress to protect investments in health and human rights programs that serve LGBTQI+ people abroad. The coalition highlighted the progress made through the Department of State Global Equality Fund and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) Inclusive Development Hub’s Protection of LGBTQI+ Persons, which are funded through the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations bill. Additionally, the coalition urged Congress to protect funding for these programs in light of a wave of anti-LGBTQI+ persecution in many countries.
Administration Activities
HRSA Finalizes 340B Administrative Dispute Resolution Regulation
On April 19, HRSA published a final rule, 340B Drug Pricing Program; Administrative Dispute Resolution Regulation, that sets forth the requirements and procedures for the 340B Program's administrative dispute resolution (ADR) process. The ADR process was implemented to resolve claims by covered entities that they have been overcharged for covered outpatient drugs by manufacturers and claims by manufacturers after the manufacturer has conducted an audit of a covered entity and found that it violated the prohibition on diversion or duplicate discounts. The rule goes into effect on June 18, 2024. HRSA will provide additional information, including a webinar, in the coming weeks on filing a claim.
CMS Launches MIPS Improvement Activity for HIV Prevention
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Quality Payment Program launched a new improvement activity for their Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Program for HIV Prevention Improvement, Improving Practice Capacity for HIV Prevention Services. The new Improvement Activity aims to establish policies and procedures to improve practice capacity to increase HIV prevention screening, improve HIV prevention education and awareness, and reduce disparities in pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake. Click here to access resources produced by ViiV Healthcare on the MIPS improvement activity.
HRSA Announces New Director of the Office of Pharmacy Affairs
On April 8, the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) announced that Chantelle Britton would serve as the Director of the Office of Pharmacy Affairs (OPA) within the Office of Special Health Initiatives (OSHI). Britton has served as Acting Director of OPA since December 2023 and was formerly a Senior Advisor in the Office of the Director of OPA among other roles at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). As Director, Britton will continue to provide strategic leadership and oversight for the 340B Program and will guide OPA’s overall policy and implementation work. Michelle Herzog will continue to serve an essential OPA leadership role as Deputy Director of OPA.
NASTAD Submits Comment on 2025 and 2027 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey
On April 9, NASTAD joined a coalition of organizations and signed onto a comment letter in response to an information collection request for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2025 and 2027 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). The YRBS is a school-based survey that assesses priority health risk behaviors related to the major preventable causes of mortality, morbidity, and social problems among both youth and young adults in the United States. The coalition strongly supports the retention of sexual orientation and transgender identity (SOGI) indicators on the 2025 and 2027 NYRBS and encourages the CDC include measures that would allow respondents to voluntarily self-report that they are non-binary, Two-Spirit, and intersex.
CDC Updates Hepatitis Awareness Month and Testing Day Materials
Each year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) observes Hepatitis Awareness Month in May and National Hepatitis Testing Day on May 19. Both observances serve as a time to raise awareness about hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C virus (HCV) while encouraging testing, vaccination, and timely treatment. This year, CDC will focus on three themes: Reaching key populations and high-impact settings; Protecting young families and pregnant persons; and Accelerating HCV point-of-care testing to expand test-to-cure. CDC updated a social media toolkit and ABCs of Viral Hepatitis webpage in observance of Hepatitis Awareness Month.
NASTAD Calls on the Biden Administration to Protect CDC COVID Relief Funds
On April 9, NASTAD joined a coalition of organizations and urged HHS and the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to protect COVID relief funds housed under the CDC. As a result of the 2023 bipartisan debt limit compromise, the COVID relief funds were subject to rescissions, which included cuts to disease intervention specialist programs. The coalition highlighted the important role of the emergency relief funds in addressing emerging threats, including mpox, and the need to maintain investments towards public health surveillance infrastructure and workforce.
FDA Grants Emergency Use Authorization for LabCorp's Mpox PCR Home Collection Diagnostic Test
On April 10, Labcorp announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for its mpox PCR Test Home Collection Kit. This EUA marks the first mpox at-home collection kit authorized by FDA and is available to physicians to order for patients 18 years of age or older who are suspected of mpox infection. LabCorp will send the test kit directly to patients for at-home collection, which includes detailed instructions for patients on correctly collecting a lesion swab, securing the sample in the provided collection tube, and preparing the package for return to an authorized laboratory for analysis. Results are electronically delivered to the prescribing physician and made available to the patient in LabCorp's patient portal.
HRSA Announces First-Ever Funding Opportunity for Pre-Release Care Coordination of People Leaving Incarceration
On April 10, HRSA announced a first-ever funding opportunity to support the provision of pre-release healthcare coordination for people leaving incarceration. The Quality Improvement Fund – Transitions in Care for Justice-Involved Populations (QIF-TJI) program will provide $51 million for HRSA-funded health centers to support the provision of health services to individuals during the 90 days prior to their release to help them return to the community by expanding access to primary health care, including mental health and substance use disorder treatment. The program priorities include reducing overdose drug risk, managing chronic conditions, and preventing, screening, diagnosing, and treating hepatitis C virus (HCV), HIV, syphilis, and other infectious diseases. Applications are due Monday, June 10. Applicants can join a TA webinar at 11 am on Wednesday, April 24.
HUD Proposes Changes to Protect Access to Federally Assisted Housing Programs for People with Criminal Records
On April 10, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued a proposed rule and request for comments titled Reducing Barriers to HUD-Assisted Housing. The proposed rule would revise existing regulations that govern admission for applicants with criminal records or a history of involvement with the criminal justice system and eviction or termination of assistance of persons on the basis of illegal drug use, drug-related criminal activity, or other criminal activity. The rule is meant to reduce unnecessary exclusions from HUD programs that disproportionately harm people of color, people with disabilities including substance use disorder, and other historically marginalized and underserved communities. Comments are due by June 10, 2024.
Resources
PHAB (Public Health Accreditation Board) Webinar: STI Prevention Allocation Consequences Estimator (SPACE Tool 2.0)
The STI Prevention Allocation Consequences Estimator (SPACE Tool 2.0) is an updated, user-friendly spreadsheet tool to help health departments estimate the impact of changes in their sexually transmitted infections (STI) prevention budgets. Join PHAB for an informative webinar to learn more about the tool and how recent updates better reflect the needs of jurisdictions today.
JAMA: What is hepatitis D infection?
HepVu: Injection-involved Overdose Mortality
“HepVu — a leading organization that visualizes viral hepatitis data and makes it widely available—released data on injection-involved overdose mortality—or the percentage of overdose deaths that were injection-involved—at the state level in 2020. The data show that while injection drug overdose mortality has increased dramatically nationwide, this trend is particularly evident in certain states. These findings are based on the paper “Estimated Number of Injection-Involved Overdose Deaths in US States from 2000 to 2020: Secondary Analysis of Surveillance Data,” published on April 5, 2024, in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance.”
SAGE Webinar Series: Older Americans Act
“SAGE is hosting a three-part webinar series to answer questions on the Older Americans Act (OAA) and what programs they fund, who’s eligible, and even how our community is going to be treated when people walk in the door.”
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May 2, 2024 at 3pm ET: Demystifying the Older Americans Act for People Living with HIV
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May 9, 2024 at 3pm ET: Demystifying the Older Americans Act for LGBTQ+ People
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May 16, 2024 at 3pm ET: Empowering Activists to Advance an Older Americans Act for ALL
GAO Report: Mpox Response Highlights Need for HHS to Address Recurring Challenges
“GAO is making two recommendations to HHS: to develop and implement a coordinated, department-wide after-action program that (1) encourages after-action collaboration across HHS component agencies, and (2) includes relevant external stakeholders involved in each response when identifying challenges and associated solutions. HHS concurred with both recommendations.”
EHE jurisdictions participate in “Big Bets” Intensive TA Sessions
Under HRSA HAB’s guidance, CAI and NASTAD partnered to convene in-person 2-day Intensive TA Sessions for multiple EHE jurisdictions to focus on impact for priority populations, increased innovation, and strategic use of EHE funds. Between September 2023 and March 2024, five in-person sessions were convened with 43 EHE jurisdictions, for a total of 151 jurisdiction participants. Each session was preceded by individual preparation meetings with the jurisdictions and their HAB Project Officers. These sessions deployed the “Big Bets” concept, a strategy development approach to identify priority populations for which multi-level, multi-determinant, multi-modal strategies – or a “Big Bet” – can improve outcomes by addressing gaps in care. Altogether, jurisdictions identified over 300 “Big Bet” strategies. For TA to support the implementation of your jurisdiction’s “Big Bet” strategies, email CAI at tap-in@caiglobal.org.
Are you marketing your STI services? Do you want to?
If you answered "yes" to either of those questions, join NACCHO and KFF's Social Impact Media for STI Marketing Office Hours!! The open discussion session will be Wednesday, May 22nd at 2 pm EST. Participants will get the chance to ask their burning questions about marketing campaigns, share ideas and expertise with each other, and walk away with knowledge and resources to improve their own marketing campaigns. The Zoom link can be found here; pre-registration is preferred, so please also fill out the interest form here: https://forms.gle/PMu4E9UFFSnL7Fmb8
Gender Diverse Approaches Webinar Series
Join the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) as we initiate a 3-part webinar series focused on the health of Trans and Gender Non-Conforming individuals. The second webinar will be held on Tuesday, May 14th at 1:00 PM ET, will discuss gender diverse approaches to chemsex and will apply a harm reduction lens to the topic of chemsex among transgender and gender non-confirming individuals.
Please click here to register to add your voice to the conversation as we explore strategies to increase and strengthen collaborations with local TGNC communities.
Linkage to Care for Justice-Involved Individuals
Linkage to Care (and continuity of care) from jail and prison is a critically important component of EHE. The Johns Hopkins University and The Bridging Group are conducting a study on "what's really happening in the field" of jail/prison linkage to care. If you are collaborating with your local jail or State prison by providing linkage services and would like to talk about what and how you're providing these services, please contact Lynda Murillo at lynda@thebridginggroup.com. Lynda will then send you the formal recruitment email. Your input is needed and will be very much appreciated.
2024 CSTE Annual Conference Registration is Now Open!
Registration for the 2024 CSTE Annual Conference in Pittsburgh, PA is now open! This year’s Annual Conference will take place June 9-13, 2024. An early bird discount is offered for registrations completed by 11:59 PM ET on Thursday, May 2, 2024. Click here to register for the 2024 Annual Conference!
NCSD’s state policy team analyzed state legislation across several jurisdictions to identify policy mechanisms that aim to expand insurance coverage for STI-related care. Learn more about recent state policy trends in insurance coverage for STI services, including best practices for policy development, messaging, and coalition-building.
NCSD: National Network of Disease Intervention Training Centers (NNDITC)
NNDITC is now offering interactive training courses for 2024 on topics of STI/HIV interviewing, self-care for DI professionals, cultural humility, and much more! Register for an upcoming session at NNDITC.org.
NCSD: STI Engage: Shaping the Nation's Health
STI Engage 2024 is known as the place for STI professionals to hear from national leaders – government officials, researchers, clinicians – as well as their own peers, as always, with top-notch production, game-changing content, and a lot of fun. Building on the momentum of STD Engage 2023, when more than 1,200 STI professionals joined us in New Orleans, we’re bringing the STI sector’s signature conference to the nation's capital. Register & Book Your Hotel.
NCSD: DIS Scholarships Available for STI Engage
NACCHO and NCSD are pleased to offer scholarships for disease intervention specialists (DIS) who work in local and state health departments to attend NCSD’s annual meeting, STI Engage! Scholarships will cover conference registration, lodging, travel, and per diem expenses. Apply Here.
University of Pennsylvania Survey: PrEP Use Across EHE Jurisdictions
The Social Action Lab at the University of Pennsylvania is inviting health departments across the EHE jurisdictions to participate in a research study. The purpose of the study is to explore strategies to improve PrEP use across EHE jurisdictions. Through a survey link, the research team is looking to collect data on structural determinants of PrEP use and policy implementation factors in your EHE state/county. Participants will be invited to a PrEP promotion conference fully sponsored by the team at the University of Pennsylvania and to participate in research publications resulting from the project.
If you are interested in participating, please contact Bita Fayaz Farkhad at bitaf@upenn.edu to learn more and to receive the link to the survey. We hope you will consider participating.
Please contact Natalie Cramer or Kristina Santana with questions.
NASTAD and RAISE Webinar Series
The Research Alliance in Implementation Science to End HIV (RAISE) Hub aims to advance the implementation of EHE initiatives through evidence-based interventions. NASTAD is proud to collaborate with The University of Washington/Fred Hutch Center for AIDS Research on the RAISE Hub on this initiative which includes a monthly webinar series. To learn more about RAISE and view previous webinars, click here.
HIV Cluster Detection and Response Learning Collaborative: Apply Now
CAI’s Technical Assistance Provider – innovation network (TAP-in), together with the New York State AIDS Institute’s Center for Quality Improvement and Innovation (CQII), is launching an HIV Cluster Detection and Response Learning Collaborative. This Collaborative aims to improve HIV cluster detection and response efforts to reduce the number of new HIV diagnoses and better link people newly diagnosed with HIV to care. Join other EHE jurisdictions funded by HRSA to participate in a 15-month learning collaborative that will build community partnerships, share lessons learned from other jurisdictions, discover the latest evidence-based practices, and provide strategies for updating HIV cluster and detection plans. For more information and to apply.
CSTE Infectious Disease Peer-to-Peer TA Consultancy Form - HIV
The CSTE Infectious Disease Program is pleased to offer coordination of peer-to-peer technical assistance. CSTE's HIV peer-to-peer technical assistance will be conducted virtually at this time. To give or receive peer-to-peer technical assistance, please complete the CSTE Infectious Disease Peer-to-Peer TA Consultancy Form. If you have any questions regarding HIV peer-to-peer technical assistance, please reach out to Symone Richardson at srichardson@cste.org. If you have any questions about completing the consultancy form, please reach out to Akila Simmons at asimmons@cste.org.
EHE Community of Practice (CoP) on NASTAD’s Online Technical Assistance Platform (OnTAP)
NASTAD and NACCHO manage a virtual Community of Practice (CoP) to support peer-to-peer learning and mentorship for EHE jurisdictions. The EHE CoP is housed on NASTAD’s online technical assistance platform (OnTAP) for those leading their jurisdictions' EHE efforts at local and state health departments to share resources and news, discuss challenges and successes, access notes from monthly EHE Office Hours calls, and request technical assistance (TA). If you need access to OnTAP, please contact Krupa Mehta.
Ending the HIV Epidemic Jurisdictional Directory
NASTAD maintains an Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) Jurisdictional Directory. NASTAD has recently updated the EHE Jurisdictional Directory, which lists local and state points of contact for all EHE Phase 1 jurisdictional activities. This directory is used to communicate with EHE Phase 1 jurisdictions, disseminate resources, and gather information. Health department staff members are encouraged to update their jurisdiction’s information using this brief form.
Jurisdictional Map of Phase 1 EHE Final Plans
NASTAD released a resource that provides access to Phase 1 EHE websites and plans. Please email Krupa Mehta additional Phase 1 EHE plans for inclusion in this resource, as well as any changes to existing plans.
Job Postings
Program Manager 1-B (STD/HIV/HCV Regional Operations Manager) – New Orleans, LA
This position is responsible for providing statewide leadership and management of the Regional Operations Unit in the STD/HIV/Hepatitis Program. They are responsible for oversight of Disease Intervention Specialists (DIS) located in nine regions throughout the state who conduct STD/HIV Partner Services. Areas of concentration include supervising staff, assessing investigations and case management, reviewing offered partner services, managing repeat infections, developing collaborative partnerships, overseeing outbreak response and workload assignments, developing workforce, and assisting with grant and report writing. Apply by May 10.
Integrated Care Behavioral Health Clinician – Grand Junction, CO
The Behavioral Health Clinician is responsible for assessing and responding to requests for mental health or substance use/addictions counseling for people living with HIV/AIDS and as well as other underserved individuals. This position helps manage group-counseling services including oversight of volunteer facilitators, scheduling, group admissions, advertising, and evaluation.
Program Content and Training Specialist, Supporting Harm Reduction Programs (SHaRP) – University of Washington
This position is part of a cooperative agreement award from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide technical assistance about monitoring and evaluation to syringe services programs (SSPs) as part of the National Harm Reduction Technical Assistance Center. One of the primary projects of this award is to provide technical assistance (TA) to SSPs for monitoring and evaluation activities. The University of Washington is working in collaboration with the CDC, SAMHSA, NASTAD, the National Harm Reduction Coalition, and other TA partners to provide a suite of technical assistance support to individual programs.
News Bulletin
As Syphilis Cases Soar in Newborns, ACOG Advises More Testing During Pregnancy
“With syphilis cases in U.S. newborns skyrocketing, a doctors group now recommends that all pregnant patients be screened three times for the sexually transmitted infection.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) issued new guidance on Thursday saying the screening should be done at the first prenatal visit, during the third trimester, and at birth. Though the screening isn't required, health professionals generally follow the group's recommendations.” – Medpage Today
Long-Acting Drugs May Revolutionize H.I.V. Prevention and Treatment
“A pill taken once a week. A shot administered at home once a month. Even a jab given at a clinic every six months. In the next five to 10 years, these options may be available to prevent or treat H.I.V. Instead of drugs that must be taken daily, scientists are closing in on longer-acting alternatives — perhaps even a future in which H.I.V. may require attention just twice a year, inconceivable in the darkest decades of the epidemic…Long-acting therapies may obviate the need to remember to take a daily pill to prevent or treat H.I.V. And for some patients, the new drugs may ease the stigma of the disease, itself an obstacle to treatment.” – New York Times
Novel Chlamydia Vaccine Shows Promise in Early Trial
“An investigational vaccine against chlamydia (CTH522) induced neutralizing antibodies in all participants who received it, and with no major safety concerns, results of a phase I trial showed. A 100% fourfold seroconversion rate occurred in all groups receiving CTH522, a recombinant vaccine containing the major outer membrane of Chlamydia trachomatis, with no seroconversion in placebo recipients, reported Katrina Pollock, PhD, of Imperial College London, and colleagues.” – Medpage Today
Small gift cards can be a key tool to stop stimulant addiction, but stigma stands in the way
“Contingency management uses positive reinforcement as a behavioral treatment for stimulant addiction. People are rewarded with small-value gift cards or vouchers for submitting urine drug tests negative for stimulants. Decades of research show that it is the most effective treatment for stimulant addiction, but it has not been widely implemented due to policy barriers and stigma.” – CNN
Start of a New Trend? Hepatitis C Cases Drop in the U.S.
“New U.S. hepatitis C infections dropped slightly in 2022, a surprising improvement after more than a decade of steady increases in a new tab or window, federal health officials said Wednesday. Experts are not sure whether the 6% decline is a statistical blip or the start of a downward trend…Drops in infection rates did not occur across the board. They declined for white Americans, but continued to rise in Black, Latino, and Native American communities, according to Neil Gupta, MD, MPH, who oversees the branch of the CDC that tracks viral hepatitis.” – Medpage Today
Mpox cases in the US are on the rise as vaccination rates lag and new threats loom
“Mpox cases in the United States are twice as high as they were at this time last year, and experts are stressing the importance of improving vaccination coverage as transmission risks rise. There have been 511 cases reported this year through March 16, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — compared with fewer than 300 cases by late March 2023. Transmission rates are still far below levels from 2022, when there were tens of thousands of cases in the US. But after a quieter year last year, experts say the US is vulnerable to increases in spread in a number of ways.” – CNN
Viral hepatitis is a silent killer. It can’t be eliminated if it isn’t tracked
“Surveillance data are essential to guide cost-effective, equitable strategies for preventing and treating infectious diseases. Yet when it comes to hepatitis C, which is estimated to affect up to 4 million people in the U.S., the country’s current surveillance systems are not adequate for providing even the most basic information about how many people are infected or at risk for infection. According to a recent report by Emory University’s HepVu Project, which I lead, and NASTAD (the National Alliance of State & Territorial AIDS Directors), many public health departments across the country lack the capacity to collect data for measuring state and local burdens of viral hepatitis infections.” – STAT
CDC describes first known cases of HIV transmitted via cosmetic injections
“Three women were likely infected with HIV while receiving so-called vampire facials at a New Mexico spa, marking the first known HIV cases transmitted via cosmetic injections, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report Thursday.” – CNN
Rapid Rise in Syphilis Hits Native Americans Hardest
“Syphilis infections nationwide have climbed rapidly in recent years, reaching a 70-year high in 2022, according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)...And while infections have risen across the U.S., no demographic has been hit harder than Native Americans. The CDC data released in January shows that the rate of congenital syphilis among American Indians and Alaska Natives was triple the rate for African Americans and nearly 12 times the rate for white babies in 2022.” – POZ