DC Needle Swap Saving Lives

DCPCA Summary of this Washington Times Story: PreventionWorks! is a needle exchange program that focuses on preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS. It's been eight months since Congress lifted a decade-long ban prohibiting the District from using local tax dollars to support needle exchange programs. Critical funds are now starting to reach groups that run those programs, but it remains to be seen how effective they will be. Walter Smith, the executive director of the DC Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, monitors the District's efforts to reduce HIV infection.

There are multiple factors that produced our high HIV/AIDS rate, and it'll take multiple factors to bring it down, says Smith. The reasons include unstable leadership at DC's HIV/AIDS prevention office -- which had 12 directors in 20 years. The District has a high population of black and gay residents, who have high rates of infection. Intravenous drug use is the second most common way HIV is spread in DC, after unprotected sex, according to a HAA report released last year. DC needle exchange advocates say the ban left them without an important tool in a city where roughly 10,000 residents are thought to be injection-drug users.

PreventionWorks! had to scrape by mostly on private donations, but now the District increased the group's budget by $300,000 over three years. That's the largest share of nearly $700,000 the District is allocating annually for needle exchanges. Other organizations receiving help include those that work with specific high-risk groups, such as prostitutes and the homeless. The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy argues the programs may actually increase disease-infection rates because they fail to curb risky behaviors associated with needle-sharing.

Faces of an Epidemic

Michael Manganiello, 50 , prepares his evening routine in the warm glow of his fifth-floor Logan Circle apartment. He's been through it once already: one, two, three . . . the pop of a bottle, then the rattle of pills, as he counts them out . . . 11, 12, 13. · He ponders the number: "Thirteen -- unlucky," he murmurs. Between morning and evening, he takes a total of 27 pills these days.

Continue reading this article in the Washington Post.

HIV Prevention Community Planning Group (CPG)-August Meeting Review

At the August meeting of the CPG, Dr. Hader engaged the CPG in a discussion about what HAA needs from the CPG as we move forward from the after-math of the reorganization of the CPG. Dr. Hader stressed that while she cannot tell the CPG how to accomplish our goals and tasks, she can outlay the needs of HAA to the CPG. At a minimum, the CPG should fulfill all CDC prevention mandates, including annual applications, population prioritization, gap analysis and the prevention plan for DC per the schedule provide by HAA. Additionally, the CPG must be a diverse body consisting of members with various skill sets which can be used to accomplish tasks. HAA would prefer that mandated processes (i.e., member recruitment, prioritization) utilize point people whom HAA can go to for information, clarification and to help ensure that processes are not stalled. Optimally, in addition to the minimum requirements, Dr. Hader encourages CPG members to engage in dialogue with HAA and provide insight about the prevention needs in the District that go beyond the CDC grant application. Dr. Hader also looks forward to having meaningful engagement with and from the Operations committee of the CPG and beseeched the committee institute a method that will ensure that HAA is aware of the progress of CPG activities and vice versa. The CPG requested that going forward that processes and communications from HAA be transparent as possible, and that there is mutual accountability for deadlines and task completion.
At the July CPG meeting, the bylaws were changed, resulting in the eradication of all standing committees and the installation of an Operations Committee. At the August meeting two members were voted on two the operations committee: Melina Afzal and I, Zenovia Wright. A motion was made to increase the size of the Operations Committee from five members to seven; this motion will be discussed and voted on at the next meeting of the CPG. Should this motion be approved, the two other CPG members who were nominated for the Operations Committee (Ron Simmons and Cyndee Clay) will be considered to fill the two remaining spots on the committee. Melina Afzal will serve a one-year term on the Operations committee and serve as chair of the ad-hoc Membership Committee. I will serve a two-year term and chair the ad-hoc Data/Prioritization Committee. Ad hoc committees are open to input and participation from all CPG and community members. Meeting dates and times TBA.
HAA was recently notified that the CDC Interim Progress Report is due from HAA on 8/22/08, approximately three weeks earlier than normal. As HAA is in the process of reviewing an RFA, they cannot identify how funds will be distributed throughout the city, however they can report that there are more funds available this year ($2mil compared to last year’s $1.4mil), and that they are looking at all target populations as well as some special populations. The report will also discuss the progress being made; final funding decisions will be made by October 1. The CPG authorized the Operations committee to review the IPR on its behalf and provide HAA with a letter of concurrence, non-concurrence or concurrence with reservations. HAA will provide a draft to the CPG by 8/22. The Operations committee will meet on 8/26 and notify HAA and the CPG of its decision.
The next meeting of the full CPG will be held on September 11, 2008 at 5:30 PM at 64 New York Ave NE. All are welcome to attend.

Increase in New HIV Infections at Whitman-Walker

NBC4 reports on new HIV infections at Whitman-Walker Clinic:

"There have been 266 new HIV diagnoses in the first half of 2008, a 232 percent from the number of cases in the first half of 2007, according to the clinic. One-third of the newly diagnosed patients have full-blown AIDS, the clinic said. The new infections were found primarily in two groups, gay men and African-Americans, according to the clinic."

Could the International AIDS Conference Come to DC?

For more than two decades, the International AIDS Conference has taken place every two years in countries around the world with the exception of the United States.

The International AIDS Society does not hold it's conferences in countries that restrict short term entry of people living with HIV/AIDS and/or require prospective HIV-positive visitors to declare their HIV status on visa application forms or other documentation required for entry into the country.

The United States made news around the world in 1989 when Dutch AIDS activist Hans Paul Verhoff was denied entry into the United States because of his HIV status. The ban was codified into as part of the NIH reauthorization in 1993.

But this era has gladly come to an end. Thankfully, the reauthorization of PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief which was signed into law yesterday. It included a provision to repeal discriminatory HIV travel and immigration law, raising the possibility of the International AIDS Conference coming to the United States.

Could the International AIDS Conference come to Washington DC. Well it won't happen in 2008 when the conference will take place in Mexico city. And it won't happen in 2010 when the conference will take place in Vienna. But it could happen in 2012.

Previous DC HIV/AIDS Director Marcia Martin suggested the conference come to DC should the travel ban be lifted at an event in 2006.

There are many reasons it makes sense to do so. First, with one in 20 DC residents living with HIV, this conference could potentially shine an international spotlight on our devastating HIV/AIDS statistics. Second, with so many decisions that impact HIV/AIDS around the world being made in our nation's capitol, the possibility of bringing HIV/AIDS advocates from around the world to DC has exciting potential. Third, a conference of this size could be a huge economic boost to the District.

As plans are made for the 2012, the International AIDS Society has an opportunity to make a powerful statement by bringing the conference back to the United States for the first time in twenty years. I hope they do so by holding the 2012 conference in the United States, and give serious consideration to holding the conference in Washington, DC.