For Immediate Release
Contact: Chip Lewis, 202.853.1846, clewis@nmac.org
DESPITE PROGRESS IN NATIONAL HIV/AIDS STRATEGY PROGRESS REPORT, MUCH WORK STILL TO BE DONE
June 11, 2018 – The 2017 Progress Report on the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (link) shows that progress is being made in some areas, but much work still needs to be done in other areas to not only reach the strategy’s goals for 2020 but to prevent any loss of progress made.
While NMAC applauds the fact that progress targets were met to reduce HIV diagnosis disparities among Black women and increase viral suppression among youth and transgender women, it is disappointing to see that the strategy failed to reach its targets for reducing HIV diagnosis disparities among young, black gay and bisexual men and among people in the southern United States.
“The latest NHAS progress report shows that we still have a tremendous amount of work ahead of us,” said Paul Kawata, NMAC’s Executive Director. “The fact that we failed to reach our targets in the southern United States, currently the epicenter of the HIV epidemic, is particularly discouraging. And the fact that we continue to lose ground in HIV diagnosis for young, Black gay and bisexual men is crushing. Young, Black gay and bisexual men now have a 50 percent chance of becoming HIV-positive during their lives. Meeting our goals with these communities will help us achieve our goal of ending the epidemic and end needless suffering.”
NMAC leads with race to urgently fight for health equity and racial justice to end the HIV epidemic in America. Since 1987, NMAC has advanced our mission through a variety of programs and services, including: a public policy education program, national and regional training conferences, a treatment and research program, numerous electronic and print materials, and a website: www.nmac.org. NMAC also serves as an association of AIDS service organizations, providing valuable information to community-based organizations, hospitals, clinics, and other groups assisting individuals and families affected by the HIV epidemic.
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