Goals for our city and strategies for our future: Ending the HIV Epidemic in Philadelphia

Event Description

In Philadelphia, reducing new HIV infections and improving health outcomes for People Living with HIV (PLWH) remains a challenge. Despite steady declines in new HIV diagnosis, Philadelphia is one of 48 counties in the U.S. with the highest number of new HIV diagnoses with significant differences between community populations.

In early 2019, the federal government announced the Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America (EHE) initiative with aims to decrease new HIV diagnoses by 75% by 2025 and by 90% by 2030. Through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the City of Philadelphia received funding for a one-year process to develop a local EHE plan.

This interactive presentation will present the local draft plan to end the HIV epidemic specific to the needs of Philadelphia. Additionally, this presentation will share the development and approach of sustained engagement led by the Philadelphia Department of Public Health to promote community-centered innovation and transform a mature health delivery system to address the local HIV epidemic. Future directions and implications for HIV services, including prevention, treatment, and educational programming will also be discussed.

Objectives

• Present the Philadelphia Ending the HIV Epidemic draft plan
• Describe the local planning process by the Philadelphia Department of Public Health
• Invite community participation for feedback on the proposed plan

Presenters

Javontae Williams, MPH

Javontae Lee Williams is planning coordinator for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health’s Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative. He also serves as adjunct faculty at Widener University in the Center for Human Sexuality Studies. For more than 15 years he worked as a nurse in sub-acute environments caring for seniors. He attended Temple University and earned a Master’s in Public Health from West Chester University.

Co-Presenters:

Coleman Terrell

Director, AIDS Activities Coordinating Office, Staff from AACO