On World AIDS Day, the White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP) released the updated the National HIV/AIDS Strategy with a goal of ending the HIV epidemic by 2030. As background, the Obama Administration was the first to unveil a National HIV/AIDS Strategy in the U.S. and it was considered a signature domestic policy achievement of the Administration. The Strategy has been updated twice over the years, with each Administration adjusting the goals and tactics. President Biden stated in his World AIDS Day address that the new Strategy reflects his Administration’s intention of bringing a “whole-of-government approach” to fighting the disease.

The Strategy begins by establishing a vision: “The United States will be a place where new HIV infections are prevented, every person knows their status, and every person with HIV has high-quality care and treatment, lives free from stigma and discrimination, and can achieve their full potential for health and well-being across the lifespan. This vision includes all people, regardless of age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion, disability, geographic location, or socioeconomic circumstance.” As providers of quality HIV care, Academy members undoubtedly support such a robust vision for HIV prevention, treatment and care and we look forward to supporting the Administration in these efforts.

The Strategy sets targets for ending the HIV epidemic that are complementary to the existing Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. plan, including a 75 percent reduction in new HIV infections by 2025 and a 90 percent reduction by 2030. The Strategy establishes four main goals for ending HIV. And interwoven throughout the Strategy are approaches to address the “individual, community, and structural factors and inequities that contribute to the spread of HIV, such as stigma and social determinants of health.” Importantly, the NHAS also identifies opportunities to “integrate HIV prevention, care, and treatment into prevention and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, viral hepatitis, mental health and substance use disorders, and other public health efforts by leveraging capacity and infrastructure across the domains and breaking down operational and funding silos.” This is a critical element to achieving success.

There are a number of noteworthy interventions in the Strategy, but some highlights include:

The Academy will continue to work alongside our community and government partners to implement such a robust strategy and vision, including advocating for all necessary funding through Congressional and state-level channels. The Academy also released a statement on the Administration’s revised NHAS, outlining the need for efforts that bolster the healthcare workforce. That can be viewed here.