Mobile Version - March - April 2019

From the Director Dr. Jonathan Mermin

This week the President issued the Fiscal year 2020 budget report which included a public health multi-agency initiative titled "Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for the United States". The initiative will work to reduce HIV infections by 75% in the first 5 years and by at least 90% over 10 years. This plan is designed to:

  • Rapidly diagnose new HIV infections,
  • Ensure people with HIV get effective medical treatment,
  • Protect people from being infected, by ensuring access to comprehensive prevention, treatment, and PrEP, and
  • Quickly respond to and stop new outbreaks.

More than half of new HIV diagnoses in 2016 and 2017 occurred in 48 counties, Washington, D.C., and San Juan, Puerto Rico. In addition, certain rural states carry a disproportionately high burden of HIV, especially in the South. While still in the early stages of development, CDC and other HHS agencies will work with jurisdictions and communities. I look forward to working with our partners in HHS, and the communities, to plan for this unprecedented opportunity to make substantial progress towards ending the HIV epidemic in the United States.

World TB Day 2019

World TB Day on March 24 is a time to recognize achievements in TB prevention and control, and renew our commitment to ending this devastating disease in the United States and worldwide. On September 26, 2018, global leaders convened for the first ever-United Nations High-level Meeting on TB. Achieving our national goal for TB elimination requires not only maximizing all available tools, but also engaging global TB partners. TB anywhere is TB everywhere. The dual approach to eliminate TB in the U.S. includes finding and treating cases of active TB disease and treating latent TB infection to prevent progression to disease. We must continue to work to fight this epidemic on multiple fronts, here at home – and around the world.

Estimated HIV Incidence and Prevalence in the United States 2010-2016

CDC's recently published annual report estimating new HIV infections shows the decline in annual infections stopped in 2013, following more than 5 years of substantial declines. CDC estimates that about 39,000 new HIV infections occurred in 2013, and annual infections remained about the same through 2016. The stable trend is due primarily to increasing infections in some populations, and continued stabilization in others that have offset declines.

Some highlights of the report include:

  • 68 percent increase among Latino gay and bisexual men ages 25 to 34.
  • Infections remained stable among black gay and bisexual men overall, who continue to account for the largest portion of new infections.
  • 30 percent decrease among people who inject drugs – but appear to have stabilized starting in 2014, after years of steady decline.
  • 17 percent decrease among heterosexuals, but at a slower pace than in prior years.