Campaigns and Initiatives
HIV/AIDS
Advancing HIV Prevention
On April 17, 2003, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced a new initiative, “Advancing HIV Prevention (AHP): New Strategies for a Changing Epidemic.” Its aim is to reduce barriers to early diagnosis of HIV infection and increase access to quality medical care, treatment, and ongoing prevention services for HIV-positive persons and their partners. The AHP initiative represents a multi-agency collaboration within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). As described in the April 18, 2003, issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the initiative consists of four new strategies for HIV prevention:
For more information: Advancing HIV Prevention Website
Be The Generation
Be The Generation is a part of The HIV Vaccine Communications Campaign, which was formed to create an environment in which HIV affected communities and individuals are more aware, educated, and supportive of HIV vaccine research and have more positive attitudes towards clinical trial volunteerism. The Campaign is an initiative supported by the Division of AIDS (DAIDS) of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). NIH is an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It features a television commercial, a Website, and a campaign toolkit including brochures, fact sheets, stickers, and customizable posters.
For More Information: Be the Generation Campaign
Business Responds To AIDS/Labor Responds To AIDS (BRTA/LRTA)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Business Responds to AIDS and Labor Responds to AIDS programs (BRTA/LRTA) help large and small businesses and labor unions meet the challenges of HIV/AIDS in the workplace and the community.
To fulfill its mission of promoting the development of comprehensive workplace HIV/AIDS programs, BRTA/LRTA works in partnership with groups such as:
- Businesses and labor unions
- Trade associations
- Public health departments
- AIDS service organizations
- Government agencies
The Business/Labor Responds to AIDS programs have five core components:
- HIV/AIDS policy development
- Manager/labor leader training
- Employee/worker education
- Employee/worker family education
- HIV-related community service, volunteerism, and philanthropy
For more information: BRTA/LRTA Website
Comprehensive Risk Counseling and Services (CRCS)
CRCS (formerly known as Prevention Case Management or PCM) is an intensive, individual level, client-centered risk reduction intervention for people at high risk for HIV infection or transmission. The Website provides resources for community-based organizations and health departments, including the CRCS Implementation Manual and sample data collection templates (in the appendices), news and updates concerning the intervention, links to CRCS training centers, and other relevant information.
For more information: CRCS Website
Drug Abuse and HIV: Learn the Link
This is a campaign targeted to young people by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It features a Website and Public Service Announcements (PSAs).
For more information: Drug Abuse and HIV: Learn the Link Website
Faith Partnership for HIV Prevention
CDC works to involve faith and religious leaders and institutions in HIV prevention, with particular emphasis on stigma reduction, intervention development, counseling and testing, and capacity building assistance. CDC first engaged the faith community in 1988 by funding 11 organizations through the National AIDS Information and Education Program to address HIV prevention and AIDS services at the national, regional, and local levels. Between 1999 and 2000, CDC funded 23 faith-based organizations to conduct HIV prevention activities including direct services, capacity building assistance, and development of a training program for religious leaders serving disproportionately impacted communities. In 2004, CDC funded nine faith-based organizations to deliver HIV prevention services and capacity building and technical assistance.
For more information: Faith Partnership for HIV Prevention Website
The Leadership Campaign on AIDS (TLCA)
TLCA's goal is to galvanize minority community leader involvement against HIV/AIDS. TLCA is a response to the alarming statistics on new HIV infections and AIDS deaths among minority populations.
TLCA works in partnership with minority communities to increase HIV/AIDS knowledge, awareness, and-most importantly-action in communities of color. TLCA also works to combat negative attitudes toward those living with HIV and the groups at highest risk for contracting HIV/AIDS, such as injection drug users, gay and bisexual men, women, and youth.
TLCA is a Federal initiative of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). It is under the direction of the U.S. Surgeon General and the Director of the Office of HIV/AIDS Policy.
For more information: Leadership Campaign on AIDS Website
Minority HIV/AIDS Initiative (MHAI)
Communities of color, including African-American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native, have been disproportionately affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. In 2003, minorities represented more than 64 percent of persons living with AIDS, and African-Americans accounted for 50 percent of all new diagnoses of HIV/AIDS in 32 states and 1 US Territory with name-based HIV reporting. Further, an estimated 182,989 men who have sex with men (MSM) were living with AIDS, 47 percent of whom were MSM of color.
The Minority HIV/AIDS Initiative is part of HHS' larger Initiative to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health by the year 2010. HIV/AIDS is one of that initiative's six focus areas.
The Minority HIV/AIDS Initiative provides funds to community-based organizations, faith communities, research institutions, minority-serving colleges and universities, health care organizations, state and local health departments, and correctional institutions to help them address the HIV/AIDS epidemic within the minority populations they serve.
For more information: Minority HIV AIDS Initiative Website
One Test. Two Lives.
The mission of the CDC’s One Test. Two Lives. campaign is to help prevent transmission of HIV from mother to child and promote optimal maternal health. The campaign gives obstetric providers new tools to help ensure all patients get tested for HIV early in their pregnancy. Materials include a fact sheet, brochure, communication guide for providers, poster, and a due date projection wheel.
For more information and to order materials: NPIN One Test. Two Lives. Web page
Outreach to Injection Drug Users
This Website offers resources for outreach to injection drug users as a part of HIV prevention. The site contains program models, operation manuals, research, forms for use by outreach organizations, and training resources.
For more information: Outreach to Injection Drug Users Website
Perinatal HIV Prevention Program
HIV transmission from mother to child during pregnancy, labor and delivery or by breast feeding has accounted for 91% of all AIDS cases reported among U.S. children (CDC 2003a). Data indicate that when antiretrovirals are delivered during the prenatal, intrapartum and neonatal periods, transmission rates can be reduced to less than 2% (Cooper 2002) compared with approximately 25% when no interventions are given (Connor 1994).The goals of the program are:
- To ensure that pregnant women and their health care providers discuss the importance of HIV testing during pregnancy;
- To make voluntary HIV testing available to pregnant women, especially those at high risk for HIV, whenever and wherever they access the medical care system;
- To ensure that pregnant women infected with or at high risk for HIV infection receive appropriate prenatal care; and
- To ensure that HIV-infected women and HIV-exposed infants have access to appropriate prevention interventions to reduce perinatal HIV transmission, and that HIV-infected women have access to appropriate treatment services.
For more information: Perinatal HIV Prevention Program Website
Prevention IS Care
Prevention IS Care is a social marketing campaign developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for health care providers who deliver care to persons living with HIV. The goal of the campaign is to reach these providers and encourage them to screen their HIV patients for risky transmission behaviors and deliver brief messages on the importance of protecting themselves and others by reducing their risky transmission behaviors. The campaign includes evidence-based intervention tools and materials available to help health care providers simplify this process.
For more information and to order materials: NPIN Prevention IS Care Web page
Replicating Effective Programs Plus (REP+)
REP is a CDC project that identifies HIV/AIDS prevention interventions with demonstrated evidence of effectiveness. REP supports the original researchers in developing a user-friendly package of materials designed for prevention providers. REP+ is a Website dedicated to HIV prevention interventions that have been tested and proven to work, and have been packaged by REP! The site also provides ideas on where to find more resources related to training, technical assistance, and implementation of these packaged interventions.
For more information: REP+ Website
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Syphilis Elimination Effort
In October 1999, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with federal, state, local, and non-governmental partners, launched the National Plan to Eliminate Syphilis. In the plan, CDC identified key strategies needed for successful elimination of syphilis from the United States: expanded surveillance and outbreak response activities, rapid screening and treatment in and out of medical settings, expanded laboratory services, strengthened community involvement and agency partnerships, and enhanced health promotion.
The evolving epidemiology, changing risk groups, and social environments present challenges for elimination and STD program activities. After reaching a nadir in 2001, diagnoses of primary and secondary syphilis are again on the increase. Today, more than 60% of new infections are diagnosed in men who have sex with men (MSM). Among US syphilis cases, the proportion of MSM jumped from 5 percent in 1999 to 64 percent in 2004.
Syphilis is now increasingly diagnosed in the private sector, raising concerns about the effectiveness of the identification and management in this setting. Public health services face increasing pressures from rising demand and decreasing financial resources. The social contexts of poverty, racism, homophobia, and socio-economic discrimination continue to drive the concentration of the disease in those with high-risk sexual behaviors, poor access to care, or both.
On May 8, 2006, CDC released its updated National Plan to Eliminate Syphilis. In reframing the future of the Syphilis Elimination Effort, CDC’s vision is to create a dynamic, evidence-based, and culturally competent prevention and control action plan for the elimination of syphilis from the United States.
Goals and Strategies
1) Investment in and enhancement of public health services
Strategies:
- Improve and enhance syphilis surveillance and outbreak response
- Improve and quality assure clinical and partner services
- Improve and quality assure laboratory services
2) Prioritization of evidence-based, culturally competent interventions
Strategies:
- Mobilization of affected communities
- Tailoring intervention strategies for affected populations
- Mobilization of, and creating alliances with health care providers
3) Creating accountable services and interventions
Strategies:
- Training and staff development
- Evidence-based action planning, monitoring, and evaluation
- Research and development
Targets
2010 interim elimination targets will be to reduce:
- Rates of primary and secondary syphilis in the United States to less than 2.2 per 100,000 population;
- Rates of congenital syphilis to fewer than 3.9 per 100,000 live births; and
- Black: White racial disparities to a ratio of less than 3:1.
For more information:
Syphilis Elimination Website
SEE Fact Sheet
The National Plan to Eliminate Syphilis from the United States, 2006
SEE Toolkit – Materials for health care providers, policy makers, media and community involvement
Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project (GISP)
The Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project (GISP) was established in 1986 to monitor trends in antimicrobial susceptibilities of strains of N. gonorrhoeae in the United States in order to establish a rational basis for the selection of gonococcal therapies. GISP is a collaborative project between selected sexually transmitted diseases (STD) clinics, five regional laboratories, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
For more information: GISP Website
