Director's Update
July - August 2013
Dr. Rima Khabbaz
Acting Director, NCHHSTP
Greetings! In January, I shared with you the first issue of Connections for 2013 and expressed my admiration of the work of NCHHSTP and its partners and colleagues! In this issue, I reiterate that admiration, but would also like to say thank you for your support and all your work over the last 6 months. As you know by now, Dr. Jonathan (Jono) Mermin will be the new permanent director of NCHHSTP beginning July 25, 2013. We are working closely together to ensure a smooth transition, and I will continue to support the Center as the CDC Deputy Director for Infectious Diseases and Director, Office of Infectious Diseases.
It has been a pleasure to see first-hand the work of this Center and its partners. In just 6 months, three campaigns were released, groundbreaking research published, a complex foodborne outbreak handled, and observance day activities held, among so much more. As well, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released its recommendations for HIV and HCV screening.
Thank you for your ongoing work and partnership. It has been a pleasure to serve as the NCHHSTP Acting Director.
New Campaign Encourages Latino Gay and Bisexual Men to Get Tested for HIV
We are pleased to announce the newest HIV testing campaign under CDC’s Act Against AIDS initiative —REASONS/RAZONES. The bilingual campaign is the Agency’s first national effort to encourage HIV testing among Latino gay and bisexual men, who are among those hardest hit by HIV in the United States.
The campaign asks gay and bisexual Latinos: "What’s your reason?/¿Cuál es tu razón?" for getting an HIV test. The campaign asks these questions through creative materials that feature men sharing their reasons for getting tested and also includes information about accessing fast, free, and confidential HIV testing.
REASONS/RAZONES launched on June 6 in Los Angeles and had a presence at gay pride events in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., and on June 26, REASONS/RAZONES launched in Miami to coincide with National HIV Testing Day. Roll outs in other cities will follow throughout the summer months.
Visit the REASONS/RAZONES Web site to learn more.
Know Hepatitis B Campaign Launched
On June 12, HHS Assistant Secretary for Health, Dr. Howard Koh, along with CDC, launched Know Hepatitis B—a national, multilingual communication campaign to increase testing for hepatitis B among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). The campaign delivers culturally relevant messages in English, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese through a variety of multimedia channels. The Know Hepatitis B campaign was created and launched in partnership with Hep B United—a coalition of Asian community groups from around the country. Hep B United partners conduct community-level outreach and will incorporate campaign materials into their education about Hepatitis B. An estimated 1 in 12 AAPIs is living with hepatitis B, yet as many as 2 out of 3 people do not know they are infected.
New from CDC
MMWR: HIV and Syphilis Infection Among MSM
MMWR: Routine HIV Screening at a County Jail
USPSTF Recommendations for HIV Screening
USPSTF Recommendations for HCV Screening
Upcoming Events
June 30, 2013–July 3, 2013
International AIDS Society Meeting
July 14–July 17, 2013
STI & AIDS World Congress 2013
July 28, 2013
World Hepatitis Day
July 25, 2013
PCSI Data Use and Sharing Webinar