NASTAD Video Series Highlights Local Efforts to End the HIV Epidemic

Washington, DC – February 8, 2022 –A new Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) video series shines a spotlight on the disruptively innovative work of eight  EHE jurisdictions across the U.S. The series comes just after the Biden-Harris administration renewed the U.S. government’s commitment to ending the HIV epidemic on World AIDS Day by requesting $670 million to support the EHE initiative in FY22. With the ambitious goals of reducing new HIV transmissions by 75% and increasing viral suppression of people living with diagnosed HIV by 95% by 2025, EHE jurisdictions are charging ahead to bridge the gap between prevention and care.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every EHE jurisdiction at every level of response, particularly for communities most affected by HIV,” said Kendrell L. Taylor, Manager on the Prevention team at NASTAD. “This video series lifts up the diverse voices of frontline workers, program directors, and health department administrators embedded in these communities who are eager to share their stories of innovation and action.” The videos include recommended resources for training and technical assistance, action steps for implementing evidence-informed interventions and important considerations for bridging the gap between prevention and care.

With the aim of advancing EHE goals and supporting the 57 EHE jurisdictions in their efforts to diagnose, treat, prevent, and respond to the HIV epidemic, each video offers real stories of action, lessons learned in the field and tips for replication. Viewers can expect to learn about strategies and activities including:

• Maryland’s Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services strategy for implementing telehealth services.
• Texas’ Tarrant County HIV Administration efforts to uplift voices of community members.
• The Florida Department of Health in Orange County’s tips for initiating a Test and Treat program.
• The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control’s deep dive into the utility of HIV cluster visualization.
• The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services’ tactics for capacity building in rural communities.
• The grassroots, “meet them where they are” approach of Mississippi’s L.I.F.E. Inc.
• Recommendations for implementing harm reduction services from Nevada’s Trac-B Exchange.
• The call for bilingual health care providers and equitable access to PrEP from Arizona’s Chicanos Por La Causa.

“Creating a channel for EHE jurisdictions to share their successes and strategies for implementing innovative practices is essential to ending the HIV epidemic,” says Taylor. “This series is an important step toward breaking silos and encouraging collaboration and communication across regions, because together we can end the HIV epidemic.”

“NASTAD is honored to have the opportunity to provide a space for EHE jurisdictions to share their successes and innovative strategies toward ending the HIV epidemic,” said Stephen Lee, NASTAD Executive Director. “Over the last 30 years, NASTAD has prioritized highlighting programs that provide quality and accessible HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment resources and services. This video series is an essential step towards NASTAD's vision of a world committed to ending HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, and intersecting epidemics."

Development of the EHE spotlight video series was supported by funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To view and share the videos, visit NASTAD’s EHE page.  

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NASTAD is a leading non-partisan non-profit association that represents public health officials who administer HIV and hepatitis programs in the U.S. We work to advance the health and dignity of people living with and impacted by HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, and intersecting epidemics by strengthening governmental public health through advocacy, capacity building, and social justice.