By AIDS.gov

As the AIDS.gov team reflects on 2016 and looks forward to 2017, today we recap our World AIDS Day 2016 posts.

From the White House

The White House published a blog post marking both domestic and global successes in the response to HIV, and recognizing the challenges and continued work needed to end AIDS worldwide by 2030. White House World AIDS Day releases included the 2016 Progress Report on National HIV/AIDS Strategy implementation (NHAS) [PDF 788 KB], an infographic, and the  latest data on progress towards the NHAS targets in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy Indicator Supplement [PDF 305 KB]. The post also featured the President’s video message for the observance .

From the Department of Health and Human Services

• National Institutes of Health:
  • Dr.  Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), spoke about the history of the epidemic, recent progress, and the road to ending the pandemic.
  • Dr. Carl Dieffenbach, Director of NIAID’s Division of AIDS, shared the news of NIH’s launch of a historic HIV vaccine trial in South Africa.
  • The National Institute of Mental Health and the HHS Office of Global Affairs also collaborated on a post about the intersection of mental health and HIV.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
  • Dr. Jonathan Mermin, Director of CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP), wrote about Syringe Services Programs: Effective for HIV Prevention, highlighting new Vital Signs data.
  • Dr. Eugene McCray, Director of the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention at NCHHSTP, blogged on how the data in a new HIV surveillance report relate to HIV prevention.
  • Dr. Shannon Hader, Director of CDC’s Division of Global HIV and TB, wrote about CDC’s work in global HIV prevention and care in her post: “ Innovation to Drive Impact: Reaching the Hardest to Reach.”
• The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration recognized how World AIDS Day aligns with its efforts to address behavioral health risk factors for people living with HIV/AIDS.
• The Office of Minority Health highlighted ways to get involved in the national response to HIV.  Don’t miss the two videos in which Health Equity Change Makers, Guy Anthony and Margot Kirkland, speak about HIV and health equity.
• AIDS.gov posts also highlighted involvement through the use of digital communication resources and through conversation in a Twitter chat.

From the Departments of State, Justice, Veterans Affairs, and Labor

• Secretary of State John Kerry released a statement commemorating this observance, noting efforts by the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to address the global epidemic and the work yet to be done.
• The Department of Justice reaffirmed its commitment to addressing HIV-related discrimination, noting multiple enforcement actions related to HIV and civil rights.
• The Department of Veterans Affairs shared its approach to HIV prevention and encouraged veterans and other stakeholders to join its efforts.
• As a lead agency for the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, the Department of Labor reiterated its commitment to extending the positive aspects of employment to all people living with HIV.

For 2017

AIDS blogged about an exciting announcement: In Spring 2017 we will be changing our name from AIDS.gov to HIV.gov.

All these blogs speak to the state of the epidemic in 2016 — and to many facets of our national response as we move into 2017.  As you start the new year, please subscribe to our blog and mark your calendar with the 2017 HIV-related Health observances.

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