The National HIV/AIDS Strategy

In July 2010, the White House released the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS), a comprehensive roadmap for reducing the impact of HIV.² The strategy sets clear priorities and targets for HIV prevention and care in the United States, and calls on government agencies and their public and private partners to align efforts toward a common purpose.

HIV Prevention Goals of NHAS: The strategy includes ambitious goals for U.S. prevention efforts over the next 5 years:

• Lower the annual number of new infections by 25 percent
• Increase from 79 to 90 percent the percentage of people living with HIV who know of their infection
• Reduce the HIV transmission rate, a measure of annual transmissions in relation to the number of people living with HIV, by 30 percent
• Increase the percentage of newly diagnosed people linked to care within 3 months from 65 to 85 percent
• Increase the proportion of HIV-diagnosed gay and bisexual men, African Americans, and Latinos with undetectable viral load by 20 percent

Priorities for HIV Prevention: NHAS lays out clear priorities for increasing the impact of HIV prevention efforts in reducing new infections:

• Intensify HIV prevention in the communities where HIV is most heavily concentrated
• Expand targeted use of effective combinations of evidence-based HIV prevention approaches
• Educate all Americans about the threat of HIV and how to prevent it

NHAS recognizes the connection between prevention, care, and treatment in reducing new infections and improving the health of people living with HIV. The strategy also emphasizes the central importance of reducing disparities in HIV prevention and care and in reducing the stigma and discrimination associated with HIV.

CDC's Role: As the agency with primary responsibility for HIV prevention, CDC's efforts are central to achieving the NHAS vision. CDC's major HIV prevention activities include supporting state and local HIV prevention programs—including the important work of health departments and community-based organizations—through funding and technical assistance; tracking the epidemic through HIV/AIDS surveillance activities; and identifying new prevention interventions through research. CDC also works to overcome complacency about HIV and ensure that all Americans know how to protect themselves, in part through the ongoing Act Against AIDS campaign, launched in 2009.

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