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
Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations & Debt Limit
Lawmakers in the 118th Congress are already facing their first major fiscal battle on the national debt limit. On January 19, the Department of Treasury informed lawmakers that it implemented extraordinary measures to avert passing the debit limit, which could have catastrophic consequences for federal programs and the economy if Congress does not take bipartisan action to raise the debt limit and avoid defaulting on the national debt. Although raising the debt limit is typically a bipartisan priority, tensions are high due to the anticipated hardline approach that Republicans in the House of Representatives might take in order to extract some budgetary concessions from Democrats during negotiations, despite Senate Republican leaders vowing to avoid a debt default.
Republicans’ effort to force in budget cuts via the debt limit fix foreshadows a contentious appropriations cycle for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY2024). Republicans in the House of Representatives passed a conservative House rules package, which implements a provision requiring any mandatory spending increase to be offset by an equal or greater cut in another program. House Republicans’ restrictive spending framework will complicate spending talks, since the must-pass bipartisan spending bills must be reconciled with the proposal offered by the Democrat-controlled Senate, threatening the possibility of year-long continuing resolutions and government shutdowns.
NASTAD will continue to monitor the appropriations process and advocate for the highest funding level on behalf of HIV and hepatitis programs.
Administration Updates
CDC, HRSA Encourage Providers to Implement Status Neutral Approaches for HIV
On January 17, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) sent a letter to grantees encouraging public health partners to implement status neutral approaches to HIV care and prevention. Employing a status neutral approach and providing comprehensive care for all people, regardless of HIV status, can help reduce HIV stigma, prioritize health equity, and turn the tide on HIV-related disparities. CDC and HRSA highlight that implementing a status neutral framework does not require an overhaul of existing care, and support the use of braided funding to reduce barriers to implementation and extend the reach of status neutral services.
CDC NCHHSTP NOFO: PS-23-0009: Advancing Policy as a Public Health Intervention to Reduce Morbidity, Mortality, and Disparities in HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STDs, and Tuberculosis
- Deadline: February 1, 2023
The CDC’s National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP) is thrilled to announce a new funding opportunity. This two-component funding opportunity aims to strengthen the ability of leaders who make decisions in public health to identify and implement evidence-based policy interventions. The funding opportunity features two distinct components:
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Leverage legal epidemiology methods to examine laws and policies over time and perform critical analyses to understand the effect of laws and policies on health and economic outcomes.
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Provide robust legal and policy technical assistance (TA) to support leaders who make decisions in public health as they navigate complex issues unique to their jurisdiction and proactively create publicly accessible TA tools and resources.
CDC RFA: Public Health Crisis Response Cooperative Agreement
- Deadline: February 12, 2023
The CDC is activating CDC-RFA-TP22-2201 Public Health Crisis Response Cooperative Agreement to support state and local public health mpox response efforts. CDC will award up to $16 million to select jurisdictions on the approved but unfunded (ABU) list for CDC-RFA-TP22-2201. Funding will be prioritized for jurisdictions reporting the highest numbers of cases during October 2022. Funding is intended to address urgent needs and to implement monkeypox response related activities including efforts to increase vaccine accessibility and uptake, case and cluster investigation, surveillance, testing, communication, education, and outreach. Additional information, including supplemental funding guidance, is forthcoming.
HHS/CDC EHE Townhall: HHS Regions 8 & 10 Community Town Hall
- Date: Thursday, January 26 10 – 11:30 am PT / 1- 2:30 pm ET
CDC is convening a number of community engagement events with community leaders and members to discuss community-driven solutions to advance HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and outbreak response. The Division of HIV Prevention (DHP) is hosting regional town hall sessions to collaborate with the community to address barriers and maximize opportunities to reach our shared HIV prevention goals.
HHS NOFO: HIV and Aging Challenges
- Applications Due: January 31, 2023
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy (OIDP) and the HHS Administration for Community Living (ACL) are thrilled to announce a partnership on two national prize competitions ($500,000 each) that focus on innovative efforts that help improve health outcomes for people aging with HIV and long-term survivors, particularly among racial and ethnic minority and LGBTQ+ populations, in either rural or urban areas.
Resources
CDC MMWR:
- Substance Use Among Persons with Syphilis During Pregnancy — Arizona and Georgia, 2018–2021
- Epidemiology of Human Mpox — Worldwide, 2018–2021
O’Neill Institute: Rapid Start Can Improve Individual and Public Health
“The initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) as soon as possible after the diagnosis of HIV infection, known as Rapid Start, is critical to getting people with HIV from diagnosis to sustained viral suppression. In 2019, the Department of Health and Human Services updated its ART guidelines endorsing Rapid Start for newly diagnosed people with HIV, and those re-engaging in care.”
CDC Save the Date: Celebration of Life for Dawn Smith
- Date: February 8, 2023, from 1:30 – 3:30 pm
“Dr. Dawn K. Smith was a nationally and internationally renowned, influential, prolific, and pioneering HIV researcher, epidemiologist, and public health professional. Her distinguished career of over 30 years at CDC resulted in accomplishments that significantly impacted the world’s response to HIV. Please join us next month as we honor the life of our beloved colleague and friend. Dawn was DHP’s own “Mother of PrEP.” This celebration of life will be a hybrid event. Location and call-in information will follow soon.”
CDC Save the Date: Celebration of Life for Janet Cleveland
- Date: February 15, 2023, from 1:00 – 3:00 pm
“Janet C. Cleveland was a nationally recognized, influential, and trailblazing HIV prevention and public health leader. A staunch advocate of equity for underserved and underrepresented populations, Janet has left a legacy of high-impact HIV prevention programs that serve the communities she loved. Please join us next month as we honor the life of our beloved colleague and friend. This celebration of life will be a hybrid event. Location and call-in information will follow soon.”
AIDS Journal: Needs for shelter or housing assistance among people with diagnosed HIV by jurisdiction—United States, 2015–2020
“Nationally, 1 in 4 (27.7%) PWH had shelter or housing service needs. Among those who needed housing services, 2 in 5 (40.4%) did not receive them. Addressing housing service needs necessitates a multipronged approach at the provider, jurisdiction, and national level. Locally, jurisdictions should work with their partners to understand and address housing service needs among PWH. Nationally, distribution of HOPWA funding for housing services should be aligned according to local needs; the funding formula could be modified to improve access to housing services among PWH.”
NASTAD: HIV Criminalization, Data Privacy, and the Role of Health Departments Consultation
NASTAD is hosting a consultation on HIV Criminalization, Data Privacy and the Role of Health Departments in Seattle, WA on February 28, 2023. The consultation will provide peer-to-peer information sharing on how health departments have engaged in HIV criminalization modernization reforms in their jurisdictions, identify engagement opportunities with law enforcement partners, including prosecutors and identify opportunities to safeguard public health data. Participation in this consultation is open to CDC PS20-2010 Component A Phase One health department staff. NASTAD can provide some travel support to one person per jurisdiction. To register for this meeting, please click here. Please email eschreiber@nastad.org with questions.
NACCHO: Invitation to Local Health Official EHE Convening
NACCHO is convening local health officials/directors and local health department EHE leadership to provide updates on progress from the EHE initiative and to highlight the role of health leaders in addressing challenges to implementing equitable, effective EHE strategies. We are particularly encouraging attendance by local health officials/health directors for this invitation-only event. Invitations have been distributed to local health officials and EHE staff in the Phase I jurisdictions, but the support of EHE staff in facilitating our outreach to local health departments from your jurisdictions is greatly appreciated. Please email HIV@naccho.org for more information or to RSVP for this event.
This event is an opportunity to learn how jurisdictions can leverage EHE to advance health equity and whole-of-society approaches to the syndemics of HIV, COVID-19, mpox, and more. By the end of the convening, local health official participants will have a fresh understanding of the importance of the EHE initiative in their counties and leave with a plan for next steps to convene colleagues from within and beyond the HIV field to promote administrative processes and collaborations supportive of EHE implementation.
NACCHO RFP for Instructional Design Consultant: RFP-Instruction-Design-Consultant.pdf (naccho.org)
NCSD: Introducing the STI/HIV Interview Series
The National Network of Disease Intervention Training Centers (NNDITC) is now offering learning collaboratives on successful interviewing techniques for the collection of critical information from people diagnosed with STI/HIV. Learn more & register for the STI/HIV Interview Series here: https://nationalditc.org/training/learning-collaboratives/.
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.
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. 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
EHE Project Coordinator – Jacksonville, FL
The EHE Project Coordinator will be responsible for coordination, monitoring and oversight of Ending the HIV Epidemic efforts in the Jacksonville Ryan White Part A Transitional Grant Area (TGA) servicing Duval, Clay, Nassau and St. Johns County. The Coordinator, reporting to the Ryan White Program Manager, will be responsible for coordination of project activities, support of project-specific meetings, and development and implementation of community engagement strategies. The EHE Coordinator, in collaboration with key stakeholders, will be responsible for the implementation of the required strategies that align with the four pillars of the national Ending the HIV Epidemic plan as well as activities and outcomes associated with the plan. The EHE Coordinator will work closely with STD/HIV/Hepatitis Program (SHHP) staff involved in coordinating Ending the HIV Epidemic activities, key constituents in the Jacksonville TGA, HIV prevention and care providers as well as other partners.
Manager, Surveillance and Prevention Integration – NASTAD
The Manager, as part of NASTAD’s prevention team, supports the organization’s capacity to provide technical assistance (TA) to health departments (HDs) and community-based organizations (CBOs) to implement high-impact HIV prevention programs. The position works primarily on NASTAD’s CDC-funded Capacity Building Assistance (CBA) program to provide TA to HDs implementing CDC PS18-1802, and to CBOs implementing CDC PS21-2102 in the South region, and to support the implementation of the National HIV Cluster and Outbreak Detection and Response Implementation Learning Collaborative (CDR ILC).
Manager, Legal Research – NASTAD
The Manager, Legal Research provides legal and policy research and analysis as part of NASTAD’s technical assistance and capacity building assistance work. This position will implement key activities under NASTAD’s health systems legal and policy portfolio, including conducting public health legal research, synthesizing complex policy material, and supporting development of webinars, peer learning opportunities, and deliverables to support health department efforts to navigate federal, state, and local laws and policies.
Senior Program Analyst, HIV – NACCHO
We are seeking a motivated person with experience in managing Ryan White programs at the state or local level to fill this new position. The position will be leading our program portfolio focusing on care and treatment for persons living with HIV. Experienced persons from priority populations most impacted by HIV are strongly encouraged to apply. The successful candidate will also have experience in syndemic and equity approaches to program design, implementation, evaluation, and community engagement.
Senior Program Analyst, STI – NACCHO
We are seeking a motivated person with experience working to address sexually transmitted infections at the state or local level to fill this position. The position will be leading our program portfolio focusing on syphilis and congenital syphilis. The successful candidate will also have experience in syndemic and equity approaches to program design, implementation, evaluation, and community engagement and a strong understanding of approaches to virtual learning communities and technical assistance provision.
Program Analyst, HIV – NACCHO
We are seeking a motivated person with experience in project management and organization and experience with HIV. An understanding of how local health departments are engaged in efforts to address HIV is also appreciated.
Senior Program Assistant, HSHH/MCAH – NACCHO
We are seeking a motivated person with experience in project coordination, administration, communications, invoices, and contracts. An understanding of how local health departments function is also appreciated. This position will be split between the HSHH and maternal, child, and adolescent health team.
News Bulletin
Tennessee to cut off funding to nonprofits for HIV prevention, testing, treatment
“The state of Tennessee is cutting funding for HIV prevention, detection and treatment programs that are not affiliated with metro health departments as of May 31. Organizations across the state were formally notified Wednesday. In an email obtained by The Commercial Appeal, United Way of Greater Nashville ― which administers the funds given to the Tennessee Department of Health by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ― told partner organizations there would be a change in the state’s HIV prevention program.”
Buprenorphine deaths did not increase despite wider access during pandemic, study shows
“The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic led to a sea change in addiction medicine — in particular, increased access to buprenorphine, a drug commonly used to treat opioid use disorder. Now, new data show that despite the medication’s wider availability, deaths involving buprenorphine still constitute a small fraction of overall drug mortality.
The research, published Friday in JAMA Network Open, offers new insight into the impact of emergency policies enacted in early 2020 to slow COVID’s spread while preserving access to addiction care. The changes allowed doctors to issue new buprenorphine prescriptions via telemedicine, making the medication far more accessible for patients in rural areas or without access to transportation.”
Another HIV Vaccine Fails in Large Trial
“Another large trial has been discontinued after Johnson & Johnson’s experimental HIV vaccine, which uses the same technology as the company’s COVID-19 vaccine, was shown to be safe but did not provide protection against HIV acquisition. [The January 18 announcement] by the National Institutes of Health adds to a long string of disappointments in HIV vaccine research.”
U.S. investigating first cases of "concerning" new drug-resistant gonorrhea strain
“Health authorities in Massachusetts announced Thursday they have identified two cases of a new strain of gonorrhea that appears to have developed resistance to a broad swath of antibiotic treatments. Both patients got better after getting injections of ceftriaxone, the main drug currently recommended to treat cases of the sexually transmitted infection. But state health officials warn the strain that infected them shows signs of at least some resistance to almost every drug to treat the bacteria, the first of its kind confirmed in the U.S. to date.”