Clear all

5 results found

reorder grid_view

Curbing the HIV Epidemic by Supporting Effective Engagement in HIV Care: Recommendations for Health Plans and Health Care Purchasers

October 13, 2016

The United States is poised to dramatically reduce the scope of its HIV epidemic, but this demands increased leadership and attention from health plans and health care purchasers (including Medicaid, Medicare, marketplaces, and other private purchasers). This new amfAR report identifies changes in policy and practice in clinics, communities, and health care programs to reduce unnecessary health spending, increase the effectiveness of services, and increase the integration of services. Done right, the same steps that lead to appropriate management of care by health plans and purchasers also will help to achieve national public health goals.

Is PEPFAR Funding for Key Populations Aligned with the Epidemiologic Burden?

July 15, 2016

Key populations (KPs)—gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM); people who inject drugs (PWID), female sex workers (FSW); and transgender people (TG)—are at significantly higher risk for HIV, face a higher burden of disease, have less access to services, are frequently the target of stigma and discrimination, and are criminalized in many countries. Sustaining progress in fighting the epidemic will require focused attention and resources targeting KPs. A research team at amfAR recently evaluated the extent to which funds from the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) were allocated to programs targeting KPs in proportion to their epidemic burden.

Bolstering State Efforts to Implement the National HIV/AIDS Strategy: Key Indicators and Recommendations for Policymakers and Community Stakeholders

July 30, 2015

The report builds upon the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) 2014 "State Prevention Progress Report," which provided state-level data on indicators related to national HIV prevention goals. The release of the report coincides with the release by the White House Office of National AIDS Policy of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy Update, which sets priorities to guide the nation's HIV response through 2020. While significant progress has been made since the release of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy in 2010, the report indicates that states can, and should, do more to align their efforts with the national goals of 1) reducing new infections; 2) increasing access to care and improving health outcomes for people with HIV; and 3) reducing HIV-related health disparities.

Hepatitis C in the United States: A Hidden and Growing Epidemic

July 29, 2015

In a public health emergency in the first half of 2015, 170 people in Scott County, Indiana, were diagnosed with HIV as a result of reusing contaminated needles while injecting drugs. Of the 170, 85% were co-infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). Increased investment in HCV surveillance could have forestalled the Indiana outbreak, limiting the spread of both HIV and HCV, and averting the considerable cost of treating both infections.

Investing for Impact: Accelerating the U.S. and Global AIDS Response in FY2016

April 21, 2015

Despite a decline in new HIV infections in some countries supported by the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the total number of people living with HIV and requiring treatment continues to grow each year. If PEPFAR is flat funded in 2016, it will not be able to meet the growing demand for treatment, jeopardizing progress in curbing the global epidemic. Investments in PEPFAR must increase to expand access to treatment, which, in addition to saving lives, is highly effective at preventing new infections.