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CLINICIANS: YOU CAN HELP END THE HIV EPIDEMIC IN PHILADELPHIA BY Philadelphia Department of Public Health, AIDS Activities Coordinating Office (AACO), Ending the HIV Epidemic Team members:
Kathleen A. Brady, MD
Brian Hernandez
Afrah Howlader
Olivia Kirby, MPH
Drexel Shaw, MPH
Mars Potros, MPH
Evan Thornburg
Tanner Nassau, MPH
Anna ThomasFerraioli, MPH
A
s part of a national effort to reduce new infections of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) has established an ambitious ‘Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) Initiative’ to achieve the following goals: reduce new HIV infections by 75% to less than 118 new infections per year by 2025 and by 90% to less than 47 new infections by 2030. At the start of the initiative in 2017, there were an estimated 470 new infections in Philadelphia. To achieve these goals, the EHE initiative has created four main strategies: 1. Diagnose all people with HIV as early as possible. 2. Treat people with HIV rapidly and effectively to reach sustained viral suppression. 3. Prevent new HIV transmissions by using proven interventions, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and syringe services programs (SSPs). 4. Respond quickly to potential HIV outbreaks to get needed prevention and treatment services to people who need them.
10 Philadelphia Medicine : Spring 2022
