Director's Update

November - December 2011

Dr. Kevin Fenton
Director, NCHHSTP

This year marked many notable activities in our work to prevent and control HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, STDs, and TB. Our Division of Viral Hepatitis announced a national education campaign on hepatitis C called Know More Hepatitis. The Division of STD Prevention released the 2010 STD Treatment Guidelines, which advise health care providers on the most effective STD treatment, screening, and prevention strategies. Our Division of TB Elimination completed a 10-year clinical trial demonstrating the efficacy of 12 doses of isoniazid and rifapentine, administered once per week, for the treatment of persons with latent TB. The Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH) also joined our Center—improving coordination across CDC's HIV/STD prevention programs for youth. There was also a CDC study on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) which provided evidence that a daily oral dose of antiretroviral drugs can reduce HIV acquisition among uninfected individuals exposed to the virus through heterosexual sex. Over the last year as well, we commemorated the 30th anniversary of the first identified case of AIDS. On December 1, we will observe World AIDS Day, uniting as a global community to spread messages of prevention and care. Our accomplishments and observances motivate us to continue protecting the public from these preventable disease threats.

Hepatitis Symposium

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is the most common chronic bloodborne infection in the United States—approximately 3.2 million persons are chronically infected. But tools for treatment are increasing; the Food and Drug Administration recently approved several highly effective drugs to combat HCV. These developments are driving the current momentum by health care providers to screen for, and detect, active and incident HCV infection. To increase awareness of these developments, CDC has organized a free symposium on December 1 and 2 at the Roybal Campus entitled "Identification, Screening and Surveillance of HCV Infections in the Era of Improved Therapy for Hepatitis C." International and national experts have been invited to present their latest perspectives and findings, and roundtable discussions will be held to promote an exchange of ideas. For details about the program, a schedule of events and speakers, and registration, please visit the symposium Web site.

HIV Prevention: A CDC Winnable Battle

HIV testing is at an all-time high, we continue to implement the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, and recent biomedical advances in HIV prevention have provided hope for the future. However, with all the positive strides being made, the number of people living with HIV in the United States, now at nearly 1.2 million, continues to grow by tens of thousands each year. This growth creates opportunities for new infections. When you factor in the social determinants of health affecting certain demographics, the number of opportunities for transmission is staggering.

To address these challenges, CDC and its partners are pursuing a High-Impact Prevention approach to reducing new HIV infections that is guided by five major considerations: prioritization; interaction and targeting; effectiveness and cost; feasibility of full-scale implementation; and coverage in the target populations. World AIDS Day is an opportune time to highlight and invigorate our efforts to pursue the goals of the National Strategy with a heightened focus on high-impact prevention.

New from CDC

Core Curriculum on Tuberculosis

High Impact HIV Prevention Fact Sheet

CDC STD Mobile Site

Expanded HIV Testing Program Fact Sheet

Upcoming Events

On the Web

Reported Tuberculosis in the United States, 2010