Title: Section Leaders Meet with CDC Representatives to Discuss the New HIV Prevention Initiative

Author:

Section/SPIG: HIV/AIDS

Issue Date:

---

During our Section mid-year meeting at APHA Headquarters in May 2003, we had the opportunity to meet with Rob Janssen, M.D., Division Director of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention, CDC; Eva Seiler, Associate Director for Planning and Policy Coordination, NCHSTP,CDC; and Pamela Dougherty, CDC/Washington Office.

Our meeting was very timely given that the CDC’s new Prevention Initiative was announced in the April 18, 2003 MMWR <http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/>. For those working in HIV prevention or care, you may know that this announcement caused a strong reaction across the country. Given the significance of these changes, we were fortunate to be able to discuss them with CDC staff.

As many across the country have noted, while the overarching goals of decreasing transmission and increasing the number of people who know their status is laudable, the implementation really represents a dramatic shift for the CDC. Dr. Janssen spent the majority of the time explaining the guidelines and rationale, after which he addressed a few of our questions.

Although there are many details to be worked out by the CDC, especially related to implementation, their intent is very clear. Our discussions, before, during and after our CDC meeting, reflected the need for continued discussion. Our Section has members from a wide variety of disciplines, and with that come a variety of perspectives, with differences that appear to boil down primarily to a prevention viewpoint versus a medical model approach.

For further discussion on the new CDC prevention initiatives, join us for the late breaker session on Tuesday, November 18 from 4:30-6 p.m.. Please join us for what promises to be a lively and engaging discussion!