A Welcome to the Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy

Post date: Aug 28, 2014 3:25:13 AM

Welcome to the Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy

The Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy (OHAIDP), within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (ASH), advises the Assistant Secretary for Health and senior U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) officials on: the appropriate and timely implementation and development of policies, programs, and activities related to HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, other infectious diseases of public health significance, and blood safety and availability.

OHAIDP develops and supports initiatives to promote HHS policies, programs, and resources, including:

Implementation of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy—working to achieve a more coordinated national response to the HIV epidemic by reducing HIV transmission, increasing access to HIV care and improving health outcomes, and reducing HIV-related disparities and health inequities.
Secretary’s Minority AIDS Initiative Fund (SMAIF)—targeting resources appropriated by Congress to support HIV prevention, care and treatment, outreach and education, capacity building, and technical assistance activities for racial and ethnic minorities in the United States who are at high-risk for, or living with, HIV/AIDS.
AIDS.gov— works to increase HIV testing and enhance care among people most at-risk for, or living with, HIV, by using emerging communication strategies to provide access to information on various aspects of HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care, including the National HIV/AIDS Strategy.
Implementation of the Action Plan for the Prevention, Care and Treatment of Viral Hepatitis— supporting the ongoing implementation of the action plan by identifying opportunities for enhanced interagency collaboration, leveraging existing resources, and strengthening partnerships inside and outside of government.
Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA)—provides advice, information, and recommendations to the Secretary and to the President regarding programs, policies, and research priorities intended to promote effective prevention, care, and treatment of HIV disease.
Advisory Committee on Blood and Tissue Safety and Availability (ACBTSA) — provides advice to the Secretary and to the Assistant Secretary for Health regarding the safety and availability of the blood and blood products, transfusion and transplantation safety, and product cost and supply.

Initiatives

Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy (OHAIDP) is responsible for several important Federal initiatives, including:

Implementation of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy

The Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy (OHAIDP) plays a leading role in supporting the implementation of theNational HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) by forging collaborations across HHS and with other Federal departments and enhancing the coordination of cross-agency Federal efforts within States. Among the activities undertaken by the office are consultations with various stakeholders and external partners; coordinating a cross-agency working group on Strategy implementation; convening and facilitating regular meetings of representatives of the six federal agencies tasked by the President with lead responsibility for implementing the Strategy; facilitating efforts to streamline program metrics and reporting requirements; and Department-wide coordination, monitoring and reporting on implementation progress including development and tracking of theDepartment’s NHAS Operational Plan. The office also collaborates with the White House, HHS agencies, and other Federal departments to communicate about the Strategy via the web, a blog, materials, and presentations at scientific meetings and community venues.

Secretary’s Minority AIDS Initiative Fund

OHAIDP also administers the Secretary’s Minority AIDS Initiative Fund (SMAIF) on behalf of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health. These funds (approximately $53 million in FY2011) are a subset of the full MAI resources appropriated by Congress. OHAIDP identifies priorities for SMAI funds, and organizes and manages the process by which the SMAIF resources are distributed on a competitive basis to HHS agencies and staff offices to support the goals of the NHAS within racial and ethnic minority communities in the U.S. Activities funded through the SMAIF complement other MAI-related activities supported through the MAI base funding received by several HHS agencies and offices. The SMAIF-supported activities are often demonstrations of novel and innovative approaches to addressing HIV/AIDS in minority communities.

Find out more about the Minority-Serving Institutions’ HIV/AIDS Prevention Sustainability Demonstration Initiative

AIDS.gov

AIDS.gov serves as a gateway for information on various aspects of HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment, including HIV testing, HIV/AIDS-related policies, and ongoing HIV/AIDS research efforts AIDS.gov works to increase HIV testing and enhance care among people most at-risk for, or living with, HIV, by using emerging communication strategies to provide access to Federal HIV information, policies, programs, and resources.

Implementation of the Action Plan for the Prevention, Care and Treatment of Viral Hepatitis

The Viral Hepatitis Action Plan outlines strategies for increasing viral hepatitis awareness and knowledge among health care providers and communities, and specific steps that can be undertaken to improve access to quality prevention, care, and treatment services for viral hepatitis. Improved coordination across HHS, along with the active engagement of other governmental and nongovernmental partners is critical to its success. OHAIDP is responsible for ensuring a strong implementation process and is focused on identifying opportunities for enhanced interagency collaboration while addressing priority action items presented in the Action Plan.

Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA)

The Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA) was established to provide policy recommendations on the U.S. Government’s response to the AIDS epidemic. The Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS provides advice, information, and recommendations to the Secretary and to the President regarding programs, policies and research priorities intended to promote an effective response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the U.S. and globally.