Important Happenings in
HIV/Health Policy
Week Ending: July 20, 2018
By: Matthew Rose & Sable K. Nelson
NOTE: The 22nd International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2018) is occurring in Amsterdam, Netherlands from July 23-27, 2018. For more information, visit: https://www.aids2018.org/
The Kaiser Family Foundation Updates its Global HIV/AIDS Timeline
Now updated through 2018, the Global HIV/AIDS Timeline is designed to serve as an ongoing reference tool for the many political, scientific, cultural, and community developments that have occurred over the history of the epidemic. For more information, READ https://www.kff.org/global-health-policy/timeline/global-hivaids-timeline/?utm_campaign=KFF-2018-The-Latest&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=64613778&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8vtTYa61sQsqAwZFRO3ynj2PwwVdgfMhp9Os0eIlijTmRdj21Fzt67oniq9XkjTv7kAao1hX_zUpkLfkA0qBY3xHLVNw&_hsmi=64613778. You can also take the updated HIV/AIDS quiz to test your knowledge of the global epidemic.
amfAR Releases New Reports on Long-Acting HIV Treatment and Prevention
Last week, amfAR and the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law hosted a briefing at Georgetown Law in connection with the release of four new amfAR reports, “Long-Acting HIV Treatment and Prevention Are Coming: Preparing for Potential Game Changers.” The purpose of these documents is to highlight the education and policy dialogues needed to prepare for innovative long-acting products under development to treat and prevent HIV infection. For more information about the briefing, please read the following blog post on the O’Neill Institute blog: http://oneill.law.georgetown.edu/amfar-and-the-oneill-institute-host-briefing-on-long-acting-hiv-treatment-and-prevention/. The reports may be accessed at http://www.amfar.org/Long-Acting-ARV/.
Provisions of Affordable Care Act Under Attack
It is likely that the U.S. House of Representatives will consider three bills related to health care next week. One bill will permanently repeal the Obamacare tax on medical devices. This bill passed the House on Tuesday, July 24.For more information, READ https://www.wsj.com/articles/house-votes-to-repeal-tax-on-medical-devices-1532467519. According to House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), the House will also vote on bills to expand health savings accounts (HSAs) and put a two-year delay on an Affordable Care Act’s insurance tax.
What You Can Do
TAKE ACTION: It is very important that our elected officials hear from us to protect federal HIV funding for HIV prevention and care. Speak truth to power by sharing your personal stories with your elected officials. It is vitally important to meet to your federal elected officials when they are at home. If we don’t support and advocate for HIV funding and programs, who will? Our movement cannot afford to stand on the sidelines. Your U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives need to hear from you.
- Find your U.S. Senators: https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
- Find your U.S. Representative: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
Also, MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE REGISTERED TO VOTE in time for the primary and general elections happening this year!
For more information, VISIT→ https://www.eac.gov/voters/register-and-vote-in-your-state/
Finally, PARTICIPATE IN THE PRIMARY ELECTION(S) in your state!!!
For more information, VISIT→ http://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/2018-state-primary-election-dates.aspx
Opportunities for Input: Let Your Voice be Heard
Leading up to the US Conference on AIDS (USCA) in September, Act Now: End AIDS will solicit input to inform the creation of a federal plan to end the epidemic. It is vital that we hear from affected communities from around the country in four primary ways:
- An online recommendation form at
https://survey.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eWde8Hsj4p0L4UJ . SUBMISSIONS DUE BY AUGUST 10.
- Online webinars covering key recommendation topics ( prevention and testing, care and treatment, structural interventions, research, viral hepatitis, sexually transmitted infections, opioids and the overdose epidemic, data and metrics)
- Web-based meetings and conference calls led by and soliciting input from specific
affected communities
- An in person pre-USCA meeting to discuss an early draft of the plan to be held on September 5 in Orlando, FL
We invite you to use any and all of these options to provide recommendations for the plan. The online form may be used for as many recommendations as you want to submit. While individuals are absolutely invited to submit online recommendation forms, we also encourage submissions from groups.
What NMAC is Doing About It
- NMAC remains vigilant in its advocacy to protect FY19 government funding and the existence of the social safety net.
- NMAC releaseda Biomedical HIV Prevention “Blueprint” entitled Expanding Access to Biomedical HIV Prevention: Tailoring Approaches for Effectively Serving Communities of Color, a new report that establishes strategies to effectively use techniques such as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Treatment as Prevention (TasP) to end the HIV epidemic in communities of color. The full report can be found by visiting nmac.org/blueprint.