IAPAC Joins London AIDSfree Cities Forum

AIDSfree LondonRepresentatives from six cities around the world will convene January 30, 2019, in London for an AIDSFree Cities Forum as part of an AIDSfree campaign. IAPAC is collaborating with the Elton John AIDS Foundation, the UK Department of Health & Social Care, and the UK Department for International Development to facilitate the sharing of experiences and best practices from the six cities as they accelerate their local AIDS responses to fulfill their Fast-Track City commitments.

“The Forum gives us a chance to re-energize all of our allies because we have the tools to beat this [disease], but we all need to be on board,” said IAPAC President/ CEO Dr. José M. Zuniga in an interview published ahead of the Forum by the UK’s Independent newspaper. He added, “We are proud of the work that is being advanced in each of these cities and hope to more broadly communicate their experiences and best practices to the 250-plus Fast-Track Cities network.”

Dr. Zuniga will attend the Forum as a representative of the Fast-Track Cities initiative, which aims to assist cities around the world to attain the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS 90-90-90 programmatic targets – getting 90% of people living with HIV to know their HIV status, ensuring that 90% of diagnosed people living with HIV are receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART), and having 90% of people living with HIV on ART attaining an undetectable viral load. Achieving zero HIV-related stigma is also an integral part the initiative’s focus since stigma deters access to and utilization of HIV services. He will also moderate the Forum’s closing panel discussion on collaboration and leadership to promote the delivery of measurable outcomes in local AIDS responses.

The six cities represented at the Forum – Atlanta, Delhi, Kyiv, London, Nairobi, and Maputo – have had varying degrees of success in their efforts to achieve the programmatic targets that form the foundation for the Fast-Track Cities initiative, which launched in Paris on World AIDS Day 2014. London is the only one of the six cities to have surpassed the 90-90-90 targets, announcing on World AIDS Day 2018 that it had reached 95-98-97.

Mayors, health department officials, clinicians, and community members from the six cities will discuss other important topics during the one-day Forum, including combination HIV prevention, leaving no one behind, and data and evidence. The Forum’s results will lay the groundwork for the Fast-Track Cities 2019 conference that will be held September 8-11, 2019, in London.

Fast-Track Cities Gain Momentum in Efforts to Attain 90-90-90

For Immediate Release
December 4, 2018

Contact: Ace Robinson, MPH

Fast-Track Cities Gain Momentum in Efforts to Attain 90-90-90

12 Fast-Track City Dashboards launched on World AIDS Day

4 December 2018 (Washington, DC, USA) – Launched four years ago, the Fast-Track Cities initiative has as one of its objectives to assist cities to generate and report data related to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) 90-90-90 targets. The International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC), one of the initiative’s core technical partners, today launched data dashboards for 12 Fast-Track Cities from multiple regions of the world, which report HIV care continuum baseline data for all cities and 90-90-90 data for eight cities. Ten additional cities updated their previously reported baseline data, demonstrating continued momentum in efforts to attain and surpass the 90-90-90 targets.

Fast-Track Cities is a global partnership between highly HIV-affected cities and four core partners – UNAIDS, IAPAC, the City of Paris, and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) –with international partners and stakeholders focused on reducing local, national, and regional impact of HIV. More than 250 cities have signed the Paris Declaration on Fast-Track Cities committing to reach the initiative’s 90-90-90 and zero stigma and discrimination targets by 2020.

The Fast-Track Cities approach includes utilizing epidemiological and programmatic data to efficiently respond to local HIV epidemics. IAPAC assists cities to generate and report their progress in helping their respective inhabitants/city-dwellers to access HIV testing and, if found to be living with HIV, to initiate antiretroviral therapy (ART) and achieve viral suppression. These data are readily available to view via city-specific dashboards that reside on the Fast-Track Cities global web portal. The dashboards and web portal are curated by IAPAC and Dure Technologies, the association’s information technology partner.

“Thanks to the work of dedicated political and community leaders in Fast-Track Cities around the globe, we are witnessing unprecedented momentum towards attaining and surpassing the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets,” said Dr. José M. Zuniga, IAPAC President/CEO. “In publishing baseline and, subsequently, updated 90-90-90 data, the Fast-Track Cities dashboards communicate local and global momentum and hold stakeholders accountable for their progress.”

The UNAIDS theme for World AIDS Day 2018 is Know Your Status. The theme aligns directly with the first 90 target (awareness of HIV status) to empower all people living with HIV, but particularly those disproportionately affected by HIV, to access equitable care, treatment, and support services once they know their HIV status.

“This World AIDS Day not only encourages everyone to know their HIV status, it also marks 30 years of activism and solidarity. The Fast-Track Cities initiative embodies this activism and solidarity to ensure that everyone in cities can be reached with life-saving HIV services, a basic building block for urban health and a critical milestone in our journey towards ending AIDS,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS.

Twelve Fast-Track Cities dashboards were launched today for the cities of Athens, Bamako, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Dar es Salaam, Durban, Johannesburg, Kingston, Libreville, Montréal, Oakland/Alameda County, and Quezon City. Each city’s dashboard features baseline HIV care continua and/or 90-90-90 data.

Following are 90-90-90 data reported by eight of the Fast-Track Cities by geographic region:

Jurisdiction 90-90-90 Fast-Track City Dashboard Link
Africa
Johannesburg 75-70-62 http://www.fast-trackcities.org/cities/johannesburg
Libreville 70-87-NA http://www.fast-trackcities.org/cities/libreville
Asia-Pacific
Quezon City 69-48-26 http://www.fast-trackcities.org/cities/quezon-city
Europe
Athens 82-87-81 http://www.fast-trackcities.org/cities/athens
Berlin 89-94-93 http://www.fast-trackcities.org/cities/berlin
Latin America and Caribbean
Buenos Aires NA-76-NA http://www.fast-trackcities.org/cities/buenos-aires
Kingston 93-45-66 http://www.fast-trackcities.org/cities/kingston
North America
Montréal 86-97-92 http://www.fast-trackcities.org/cities/montreal

*NA refers to data that have not yet been reported
*Four cities (Bamako, Dar es Salaam, Durban/eThekwini, Oakland/Alameda County) did not report 90-90-90 data but did report partial HIV care continuum data on their respective Fast-Track City dashboards

Several Fast-Track Cities updated their previously reported HIV care continua and/or 90-90-90 data from prior years. In nine of the 10 cities, progress was reported across one or more of the 90 targets and/or in relation to HIV care continuum indicators. Among the cities with the most pronounced progress are Bangkok (increase from 79% in 2016 to 91% in 2018 of people living with HIV aware of their HIV status); Kyiv (increase from 44% in 2016 to 66% in 2017 of ART coverage among people living with HIV aware of their status); and New Orleans (increase from 91% in 2016 to 97% in 2017 of people living with HIV on ART achieving viral suppression). London has attained the initiative’s subsequent 95-95-95 targets (95-98-97), and Nairobi County is the first jurisdiction to report 100% of PLHIV who know their status are on ART.

Following are updated 90-90-90 data for 10 Fast-Track Cities that had previously reported these data:

Jurisdiction 90-90-90 Fast-Track City Dashboard Link
Africa
Nairobi County 78-100-82 http://www.fast-trackcities.org/cities/nairobi-county
Asia-Pacific
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration 91-70-76 http://www.fast-trackcities.org/cities/bangkok
Europe
Amsterdam 95-94-94 http://www.fast-trackcities.org/cities/amsterdam
Kyiv 55-66-73 http://www.fast-trackcities.org/cities/kyiv
London 95-98-97 http://www.fast-trackcities.org/cities/london
North America
Metro Denver 90-NA-90 http://www.fast-trackcities.org/cities/metro-denver
Miami-Dade County 86-NA-NA http://www.fast-trackcities.org/cities/miami
New Orleans 87-66-97 http://www.fast-trackcities.org/cities/new-orleans
New York City 93-86-93 http://www.fast-trackcities.org/cities/new-york
San Francisco 94-79-94 http://www.fast-trackcities.org/cities/san-francisco

*NA refers to data that have not yet been reported
*San Antonio/Bexar County launched their dashboard earlier this year with 86-72-86 (2017) as their “90-90-90” targets

The Fast-Track City dashboards launched today were made possible through grant support from ViiV Healthcare, the MAC AIDS Fund, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), Merck & Co., and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

#  #  #

About Fast-Track Cities

Cities bear a large share of the global HIV burden. In countries with large HIV epidemics, the numbers of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in urban areas are so high that effective city-level action is likely to influence national outcomes. Even where an HIV epidemic is smaller, cities are home to large numbers of people belonging to key populations at higher risk of HIV, but which often receive limited attention in HIV programs. The Fast-Track Cities is a global partnership between more than 250 high HIV burden cities, the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), and the city of Paris. The initiative was launched on World AIDS Day 2014 in Paris. For more information please visit: www.iapac.org/fast-track-cities

About the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC)

IAPAC was founded more than three decades ago with a mission to improve access to, and the quality of, prevention, care, treatment, and support services deliver to people living with and affected by HIV and comorbid diseases, including tuberculosis and viral hepatitis (HBV and HCV). With more than 30,000 members globally, IAPAC is the largest association of clinicians and allied health professionals who are working to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. For more information, please visit: www.iapac.org

Fast-Track Cities Survey Data Provide Insights into Quality of Life of People Living with HIV

Initial trends from five cities shed light on stigma experienced by people living with HIV, but reveal that overall quality of life is good among those who are on HIV treatment

 

London, UK, 30 November 2018 – Early findings from the Fast-Track Cities Quality of Life Survey fielded in 29 cities around the world, show that almost one in three people living with HIV (38%) report feelings of stigma by their community, and almost one in four in a healthcare setting (23%), of which 78% identified a healthcare worker as the source of stigma. These figures, alongside others highlighted in the survey, provide an insight into how the quality of life of people living with HIV is affected on a daily basis by a myriad of factors including stigma.

The Fast-Track Cities Quality of Life Survey was developed by the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC), in partnership with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the Global Network for People Living with HIV (GNP+), and the International Community of Women Living with HIV (ICW). Supported by a grant from ViiV Healthcare, the survey aimed to seek answers to questions about the overall health and wellbeing of people living with HIV, as well as factors that can affect a persons’ quality of life while living with the disease, particularly in a city setting.

The initial findings released today, just before World AIDS Day[1], are the first to be announced from the survey and provide an overall global picture as well as specific city read-outs from five Fast-Track Cities: Bangkok (Thailand), Durban (South Africa), Madrid (Spain), Miami (USA), and Salvador (Brazil). Results show that there is a significant disparity in the levels of stigma experienced in a healthcare setting, and within communities, by people living with HIV in these five cities.

Reported stigma and discrimination experienced within the community within the past 12 months were relatively low in Salvador and Bangkok, at 16% and 11%, respectively, with stigma experienced in healthcare facilities and by healthcare workers in these two cities within the same timeframe similarly low at 7% and 12%, respectively. However, the figures jump sharply for Miami, Durban, and Madrid with 66%, 42%, and 32% of respondents, respectively, saying they had felt stigmatised by their community in the past year.

Moreover, 47% of Durban respondents said they had been stigmatised in a healthcare facility or by a healthcare worker, while Miami and Madrid respondents reported considerably less stigma experienced in their healthcare facilities at 16% and 13%, respectively.

“One of the four commitments undertaken by all Fast-Track Cities was to reduce the negative impact of stigma and discrimination experienced by people living with HIV, both as a human rights imperative but also as a means of increasing access to and utilisation of HIV services to attain the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets,” said Dr José M. Zuniga, President/CEO of IAPAC, the core technical partner of the Fast-Track Cities initiative. “Where stigma exists against people living with HIV, the dignity that should be afforded every human being and the benefits that ‘Knowing Your Status’[2] (HIV prevention and treatment services) can confer are denied. We aim to use the findings from the Fast-Track Cities Quality of Life Survey to inform a global and local dialogue about the need to take a holistic approach to improve the quality of life of people living with HIV.”

Globally, initial trends indicate that approximately 40% of the more than 4,300 people living with HIV who responded to the survey, reported being satisfied with their quality of life. Percentages were significantly higher in Miami with 56% reporting satisfaction, followed by Durban and Salvador, both reporting close to 50% satisfaction. Eighty-eight percent and 70% of respondents from Salvador and Durban, respectively, who reported satisfaction with their quality of life were consistently on antiretroviral therapy (ART), while in Miami, 60% of respondents who were satisfied with their quality of life were on ART but admitted occasionally missing doses. With regards to their outlook on life and living with HIV, respondents in Bangkok (44%), Miami (43%), and Salvador (39%) most often reported a positive outlook. Significant percentages of people living with HIV who are consistently on ART across three cities reported a positive outlook on life – Madrid (100%), Bangkok (94%), and Salvador (94%), while in Durban and Miami only 66% and 65% of respondents consistently on ART, respectively, reported a positive outlook on life.

Michele Robbins, Senior Director, Global Strategic Initiatives, ViiV Healthcare said, “It is vitally important to recognise that quality of life is an essential part of HIV care and to understand how people living with HIV perceive it affects their ongoing care. We look forward to using these insights and working with partners to develop meaningful interventions[3] that can support optimal care in HIV.”

Additional interim global findings from the survey showed that 25% of respondents had disclosed their status to their intimate partner or spouse, and that about the same proportion worry about disclosing their status to their intimate partner or spouse. Despite Salvador and Bangkok reporting low stigma and discrimination in the healthcare setting and within their communities, people living with HIV in all three cities were notably worried about disclosing their HIV status to family and friends – 62%, 50%, and 50% for Salvador, Bangkok, and Durban, respectively. In Miami and Madrid, 26% and 21% of respondents, respectively, reported being almost always worried about disclosing their HIV status to family and friends, while 27% of respondents in Madrid and 24% of respondents in Miami reported being worried about disclosing to their intimate partners or spouses.

 

Full findings from the Fast-Track Cities Quality of Life Survey are expected to be announced in 2019. The total number of respondents is expected to reach 7,500.

 

-  ENDS -

 

About Fast-Track Cities

Cities bear a large share of the global HIV burden. In countries with large HIV epidemics, the numbers of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in urban areas are so high that effective city-level action is likely to influence national outcomes. Even where an HIV epidemic is smaller, cities are home to large numbers of people belonging to key populations at higher risk of HIV infection but which often receive limited attention in HIV programs. The Fast-Track Cities is a global partnership between more than 250 high HIV burden cities, the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), and the city of Paris. The initiative was launched on World AIDS Day 2014 in Paris. For more information please visit: www.iapac.org/fast-track-cities.

About the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC)

IAPAC was founded more than three decades ago with a mission to improve access to, and the quality of, prevention, care, treatment, and support services deliver to people living with and affected by HIV and comorbid diseases, including tuberculosis and viral hepatitis (HBV and HCV). With more than 30,000 members globally, IAPAC is the largest association of clinicians and allied health professionals who are working to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. For more information, please visit: www.iapac.org

 

About ViiV Healthcare

ViiV Healthcare is a global specialist HIV company established in November 2009 by GlaxoSmithKline (LSE: GSK) and Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) dedicated to delivering advances in treatment and care for people living with HIV and for people who are at risk of becoming infected with HIV. Shionogi joined in October 2012. The company’s aim is to take a deeper and broader interest in HIV/AIDS than any company has done before and take a new approach to deliver effective and innovative medicines for HIV treatment and prevention, as well as support communities affected by HIV.

 

For more information on the company and our work towards 90-90-90, please visit www.viivhealthcare.com .

 

Media contact

Isabelle Scali Isabelle.x.scali@viivealthcare.com M: +44 7557 290420

 

[1] The theme for World AIDS Day 2018 is Know Your Status. The theme recognizes the importance of ensuring that people living with HIV, especially those disproportionately affected by HIV, have equitable access to and utilize timely care, treatment, and supportive services if they are diagnosed with HIV. Click here for more information: https://knowyourstatus.unaids.org/

[3] Through support from ViiV Healthcare, IAPAC developed training modules for clinicians in 35 Fast-Track Cities regarding the importance of eliminating stigma in healthcare settings. The modules were developed in partnership with UNAIDS, GNP+, and the International AIDS Society (IAS). Click here for more information: http://www.fast-trackcities.org/hiv-stigma

 

Stigma and Misconceptions are Critical Barriers to Reach HIV Targets in Scotland

Survey Reveals HIV Stigma in Scotland Remains Widespread, with a Majority of Respondents (69%) Feeling Uncomfortable Dating Someone Living with HIV 

 

October 29, 2018 – Results released today from a Europe-wide survey including over 500 people in Scotland demonstrate that, despite significant progress over almost four decades, HIV-related stigma persists as a major challenge for people living with HIV (PLHIV).

Negative societal attitudes towards PLHIV pose a barrier to achieving the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) 90-90-90 treatment targets by 2020, as stigma discourages testing and can impede PLHIV’s access to and engagement and retention in HIV care.[1] Early diagnosis and successful treatment of HIV can reduce AIDS-related deaths, lead to a near normal lifespan, and prevent HIV transmission.[2],[3]

“Across Scotland, we have seen a great deal of positive changes in addressing HIV management and care over the years, particularly with respect to the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets for testing, treatment and viral suppression,” said George Valiotis, CEO, HIV Scotland. “However, as these results show, there is still much work to be done amongst the general public to further tackle the issue of HIV-related stigma and misconceptions about HIV and PLHIV, which can be a key barrier to achieving the target of 90% of PLHIV knowing their status. We need to evaluate and increase our efforts and ensure that we adopt the right approach to address these issues and achieve 90-90-90 by 2020.”

Results for Scotland from the Is HIV Sorted? survey, jointly conducted by the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC), the core technical partner of the Fast-Track Cities initiative, and Gilead Sciences, were presented today at HIV Scotland’s ‘Fast Tracking Scotland to End the HIV Epidemic’ event at the Glasgow Science Centre.[4]

  • Across Scotland, a significant proportion of respondents (69%) would not feel comfortable dating someone who is living with HIV (68% in Glasgow)
  • Just over one-fifth (22%) of respondents would not feel comfortable working with a person living with HIV; however, significantly more respondents (42%) believe that PLHIV should not be allowed to work as healthcare professionals
  • Only 43% of respondents across Scotland agreed or strongly agreed that HIV-related stigma is ‘a thing of the past’ in the United Kingdom

The survey results also demonstrated a significant lack of awareness about the realities of HIV treatment and secondary transmission. Successful HIV treatment that yields an undetectable level of HIV in the blood (viral suppression) over a six-month period means that the risk of transmitting the virus from HIV-positive to -negative sexual partners is negligible to non-existent (the premise of the Undetectable=Untransmittable [U=U] message). However:4

  • Only around one in 10 respondents (11%) understood the meaning of ‘undetectable,’ with approximately one third (33%) believing that being undetectable means that you can still transmit HIV to someone else
  • 44% of respondents believed that it would still be possible to transmit HIV to others, even if HIV treatment was having the best effect possible (viral suppression)
  • Less than a third (28%) of respondents were aware that it is possible for women living with HIV who are undetectable to conceive HIV-negative children

HIV testing rates among Scottish respondents were also worryingly low. One fifth of respondents have had an HIV test (19%) in their lifetime – however half of these tests (51%) were completed more than 5 years ago. In addition, the survey found worrying levels of complacency across Scotland with respect to HIV prevention. Almost a quarter of respondents said they had a new sexual partner in the last year but, of these respondents, only 37% always used a condom, and a quarter rarely or never used a condom with a new sexual partner. These results contrast with a majority view among respondents in Scotland (78%) that condoms can protect people from HIV infection, though very few respondents (5%) are aware that taking certain HIV treatments before sex (5%) can reduce HIV acquisition.4

“HIV Scotland’s commitment to fast-track the country’s AIDS response is aligned with the Fast-Track Cities initiative’s objective of attaining the 90-90-90 and zero stigma targets to achieve impact on national HIV epidemics. The Is HIV Sorted? survey results for Scotland demonstrate a need for greater collaboration and coordination to increase HIV literacy among the general public, address complacency regarding HIV testing and prevention, and correct misperceptions that exacerbate stigma against PLHIV,” said Dr. José M. Zuniga, President/CEO, International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC). “We firmly believe that for Glasgow and other Scottish cities, an initiative such as Fast-Track Cities can provide a platform to support this holistic approach, with the opportunity to leverage wider global partnerships and share positive learnings and best practices on the world stage.”

 

###

 

– Notes to editors –

 

About Is HIV Sorted?

The Is HIV Sorted? Survey was commissioned by the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC), the core technical partner of the Fast-Track Cities initiative, and Gilead Sciences. The survey respondents included 18,169 HIV-negative[*] adults living in nine countries in Western Europe, including seven with Fast-Track Cities (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, Ireland, Austria, The Netherlands and Switzerland) and 6,043 HIV-negative* adults living in three countries in Eastern Europe, two with Fast-Track Cities (Romania, Ukraine and the Russian Federation). The survey aimed to provide insights into the general publics’ awareness, perceptions, knowledge, and attitudes towards HIV. The survey was fielded in June 2018 by the independent market research company Opinium. Additional survey data will be made available towards the end of 2018 and in 2019.

 

About Fast-Track Cities

Cities bear a large share of the global HIV burden. In countries with large HIV epidemics, the numbers of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in urban areas are so high that effective city-level action is likely to influence national outcomes. Even where an HIV epidemic is smaller, cities are home to large numbers of people belonging to key populations at higher risk of HIV infection but which often receive limited attention in HIV programs. The Fast-Track Cities is a global partnership between more than 250 high HIV burden cities, the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), and the city of Paris. The initiative was launched on World AIDS Day 2014 in Paris. For more information please visit: http://www.fast-trackcities.org.

 

About the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC)

IAPAC was founded more than three decades ago with a mission to improve access to, and the quality of, prevention, care, treatment, and support services deliver to people living with and affected by HIV and comorbid diseases, including tuberculosis and viral hepatitis (HBV and HCV). With more than 30,000 members globally, IAPAC is the largest association of clinicians and allied health professionals who are working with many partners to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

 

About HIV Scotland

HIV Scotland is the national HIV policy organisation for Scotland. We exist on behalf of all those living with and at risk of HIV to ensure that Scotland has responsive policies, quality services and a supportive environment that enable people living with or at risk of HIV in Scotland to live health and fulfilling lives. HIV Scotland is a multi-award-winning charity, recognised for our skill in bringing multiple partners together to achieve innovative and ambitious outcomes. HIV Scotland is the national collaborating partner with IAPAC to deliver the Fast Track Cities initiative in Scotland.

 

About the UNAIDS 90-90-90 Targets

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) asserts that attaining the 90-90-90 targets is a means of placing national and municipal jurisdictions on a trajectory towards ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. The targets translate into:

 

  • 90% of people living with HIV (PLHIV) knowing their HIV status
  • 90% of PLHIV who know their HIV-positive status on antiretroviral therapy (ART)
  • 90% of PLHIV on ART achieving viral suppression

 

About Gilead Sciences

Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a research-based biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and commercializes innovative medicines in areas of unmet medical need. The company strives to transform and simplify care for people with life-threatening illnesses around the world. Gilead has operations in more than 35 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Foster City, California.

 

For nearly 30 years, Gilead has been a leading innovator in the field of HIV, driving advances in treatment, prevention and cure research. Today, it’s estimated that more than 11.5 million people living with HIV globally receive antiretroviral therapy provided by Gilead or one of the company’s generic manufacturing partners.

 

For more information on Gilead Sciences, please visit the company’s website at www.gilead.com, follow Gilead on Twitter (@GileadSciences) or call Gilead Public Affairs at 1-800-GILEAD-5 or
1-650-574-3000.

 

 

 

References

[*] Self-described

[1] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). HIV Stigma Fact Sheet. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/actagainstaids/pdf/campaigns/lsht/cdc-hiv-TogetherStigmaFactSheet.pdf [last accessed July 2018]

[2] May, MT. Better to know: the importance of early HIV diagnosis. The Lancet 2016.

[3] World Health Organization. HIV/AIDS. Available at: http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/communicable-diseases/hivaids/hivaids [last accessed October 2018]

[4] Opinium. Is HIV sorted survey (sample: 18,169). June – July 2018. Survey commissioned by the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC) and Gilead Sciences

IAPAC Launches First-of-its-Kind Fast-Track Cities Podcast at AIDS 2018 to Tell the Story of the Urban AIDS Response from its Beginning to Today

Episodes 1 Through 3 of Season 1’s 12 Episodes
Now Available on iTunes and Google Play

 

Amsterdam, Netherlands (July 24, 2018) – The International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC) today launched an innovative podcast series focused on telling the story of the urban AIDS response globally. The podcast series is named, Fast-Track Cities, after an initiative of the same name that is working with more than 250 cities worldwide that are accelerating their local AIDS responses to end AIDS as a public health threat. Through compelling storytelling, each episode features interviews from some of the most prominent voices in the global AIDS movement – including people living with and affected by HIV, clinicians, scientists, government officials, representatives from community organizations, and many more. The Fast-Track Cities podcast was officially launched today during a Fast- Track Cities reception held in conjunction with the 22nd International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2018) and with the first three episodes of its 12-episode first season now available for free download on iTunes and Google Play.

“After spending the last almost four years focused on advancing the Fast-Track Cities objectives, we want to give voice to the inspiring stories about the urban AIDS response that uniquely vary city-by-city,” said Dr. José M. Zuniga, President and CEO, IAPAC. “We are excited to launch the Fast-Track Cities podcast to tell these stories in a powerful way through the podcast medium. Our goal is not only to educate our audience about HIV/AIDS globally, but to share the best practices that cities working in partnership with communities are advancing to ensure that no one is left behind as we strive to end AIDS as a public health threat. I would like to personally thank everyone who graciously participated in the first season as we could not have done this without you and your personal anecdotes.”

The genesis of this podcast was born out of the successes that IAPAC observed working with cities that form the Fast-Track Cities initiative, which was launched on December 1, 2014. To date, the initiative has catalyzed high HIV burden cities around the world towards attaining the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) 90-90-90 and zero stigma targets by 2020. With more than 250 cities now having signed the Paris Declaration on Fast- Track Cities Ending AIDS, and unprecedented momentum achieved by most Fast-Track Cities, there is a powerful story to be told regarding a reinvigorated urban AIDS response.

The Fast-Track Cities podcast’s first three episodes include a history of the HIV epidemic from the perspective of cities such as Amsterdam, Cape Town, Nairobi, New York City, and San Francisco (Episode 1); an overview of the science of HIV, with a review of the current state of HIV prevention and treatment interventions (Episode 2); and a description of the Fast-Track Cities initiative, from its genesis in 2014 through to the work that it is advancing today.

“Given the current global push to end AIDS as a public health threat, it is critical that the voices of local everyday heroes engaged in accelerated urban AIDS responses are heard and that their stories be told,” said Dr. Zuniga. “We must do everything we can to protect and gain funding for high HIV burden cities; ensure sustained political will; employ innovation to scale-up HIV prevention, linkage to care and access to treatment; and eliminate barriers such as stigma that jeopardize sustained progress. It is our goal that the Fast-Track Cities podcast series will leverage the successes of almost four decades of urban AIDS responses and spur conversation and advance positive action in every city of the world.”

Season 1 Episode Guide:

Episode # Title
1 Darkest Days (launched at AIDS 2018 and available for free download

on iTunes and Google Play)
2 HIV: Science, Treatment and the Future (launched at AIDS 2018 and

available for free download on iTunes and Google Play)
3 Fast-Track Cities: The Urban Response (launched at AIDS 2018 and

available for free download on iTunes and Google Play)
4 North American Cities – Part 1 (San Francisco and New York City)
5 North American Cities – Part 2 (Atlanta, Baton Rouge, Birmingham)
6 Caribbean Cities (Kingston and Port-au-Prince)
7 Latin American Cities (Buenos Aires, Mexico City, São Paulo)
8 European Cities – Part 1 (Berlin, Kyiv, Paris)
9 European Cities – Part 2 (Amsterdam, London, Madrid)
10 Asia-Pacific Cities (Bangkok and Melbourne)
11 African Cities – Part 1 (Abidjan, Nairobi, Maputo)
12 African Cities – Part 2 (Durban, Kampala, Kigali)

 IAPAC has curated significant content for the Fast-Track Cities podcast and plans to add on a second season to share many more powerful urban AIDS response stories across every region the world, several of which are untold. Additionally, IAPAC is looking for other stories and perspectives, as well as feedback on podcast episodes, which can be shared by emailing iapac@iapac.org. For more information about sponsorship opportunities, please visit the Fast-Track Cities Podcast webpage.

About the Fast-Track Cities Initiative

Fast-Track Cities is an approach for cities to accelerate their local AIDS responses, supported by four core partners – IAPAC, UNAIDS, UN-Habitat, and the City of Paris – in collaboration with local, national, regional and international implementing and technical partners.

Combining the efforts of city governments, Mayors, affected communities, local health departments, and clinical/service providers, the initiative aims to build upon, strengthen and leverage existing HIV programs and resources to accelerate locally coordinated, city- wide responses to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. Visit www.fast-trackcities.org for more information.

About IAPAC

The International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC) represents more than 30,000 clinicians and allied health care professionals in over 150 countries. Its mission is to improve the quality of and increase access to HIV prevention, care, treatment, and support services for men, women, and children affected by and living with HIV and comorbid conditions (e.g., tuberculosis, viral hepatitis). For more information about IAPAC and its 32- year history of marshaling the health professions to end the HIV epidemic, please visit www.iapac.org.

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For more information:

Lindsay G. Deefholts
Global Communications and Advocacy Consultant
ldeefholts@gmail.com
+ 1 416 301 7966

HIV: Stigma, Misconceptions and Complacency Remain Critical Barriers to Stopping the Virus

 

CONTACT: Stephen Head, Media (EU)
+44 (0) 7768 705945

 

- New Survey of >24,000 People in Europe Reveals HIV Stigma Still Widespread -

July 23, 2018 – Results from a new, large-scale, Europe-wide survey of over 24,000 people in 12 countries[1] demonstrate that, despite significant progress over almost four decades, HIV-related stigma persists as a major challenge for people living with HIV (PLHIV). While experts in the field, PLHIV and allies recognize that stigma and discrimination are unfounded, the Is HIV Sorted? survey has revealed there is still much work that needs to be done among the general public. Negative societal attitudes towards PLHIV pose a barrier to achieving the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV AIDS (UNAIDS) 90-90-90 treatment targets by 2020, as stigma discourages testing and can impede PLHIV’s access to and engagement and retention in HIV care.[i]

HIV transmission remains a significant concern across the European continent. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2016 more than 160,000 people were diagnosed with HIV in the European region. This is the highest number of people ever newly diagnosed in one year, with the greatest number of new diagnoses in the Eastern European region.[ii]

Initial results from the Is HIV Sorted? survey, jointly conducted by the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC), the core technical partner of the Fast-Track Cities initiative, and Gilead Sciences, were released today at the 22nd International AIDS Conference, Amsterdam. Although results from the survey were broadly consistent across Europe, there were some notable differences between Eastern[2] and Western[3] regions:[iii]

  • Across Europe a significant proportion of respondents (68%) would not feel comfortable dating someone who is living with HIV (66% in Western Europe and 74% in Eastern Europe)
  • In Eastern Europe, over half (52%) of respondents have negative attitudes about working with PLHIV; around a quarter (24%) in Western Europe also have the same negative attitude
  • Across Europe half (50%) of respondents believe that PLHIV should not be allowed to work as healthcare professionals
  • In Eastern Europe only one in five (20%) respondents believe that PLHIV should be able to do any job, regardless of their status; a quarter (25%) believe that PLHIV should not even be allowed to work in a store

Successful HIV treatment and management that yields an undetectable level of HIV in the blood (viral suppression) means that the virus is virtually untransmittable from HIV-positive to -negative sexual partners (the premise of the Undetectable=Untransmitable [U=U] message). However:3

  • Only around one in 10 respondents (12%) understood the meaning of ‘undetectable,’ with approximately one third believing that being undetectable means that you can still transmit HIV to someone else
  • More than half (53%) of respondents believed that it would still be possible to transmit HIV to others, even if the treatment was having the best effect possible (viral suppression)
  • Only approximately half (47%) of respondents were aware that it is possible for women living with HIV who are undetectable to conceive HIV negative children

“Although we have taken significant steps forward in addressing HIV-related stigma experienced by PLHIV, the Is HIV Sorted? survey results demonstrate that we cannot be complacent,” said Dr. José M. Zuniga, President/CEO, International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC). “There is still a significant lack of understanding about HIV. Fear of stigma is a major barrier to people getting tested, which is the first step necessary to achieve the 90-90-90 targets. We must expand our education and awareness-raising efforts to ensure the wider public are more informed, so that people can live positively with HIV.”

The survey also found worrying levels of complacency with respect to HIV prevention. Almost a quarter of respondents said they had a new sexual partner in the last year but, of these respondents, only 44% always used a condom, and almost one in four respondents rarely or never used a condom with a new sexual partner.3

Encouragingly respondents, particularly those in Eastern Europe, appear to believe that HIV is still a significant issue, with nearly half (47%) across Europe believing that HIV is still a major health concern and less than one in five (18%) Eastern European respondents believing that HIV is under control in their country. Linked to this, the majority of respondents (73% in Western Europe and 82% in Eastern Europe) believe that funding for HIV should be a priority for their government or health service.3

“These data are a wake-up call to all of us involved in efforts to attain the 90-90-90 targets. 2020 is just two short years away,” continued IAPAC’s Dr. Zuniga. “We must not allow HIV to be deprioritised - either in the halls of government or in the minds of the general public. These data are valuable to initiatives such as Fast-Track Cities enabling us to work with local stakeholders to eliminate misperceptions about HIV, strengthen primary HIV prevention efforts and maximise use of the tools that we have to treat and prevent HIV infection.”

Gregg Alton, Executive Vice President International Operations & Corporate Affairs, Gilead Sciences, said, “These results reinforce the critical need for the whole HIV community to work together to tackle the significant issues that still remain in HIV prevention, diagnosis and care. We hope that these results will contribute to robust and productive discussions at this conference, as we focus on breaking down barriers and building bridges to reach key populations, and ensure that no-one is forgotten as we collectively work to stop the virus.”

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- Notes to editors –

About Is HIV Sorted?

The Is HIV sorted? Survey was commissioned by the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC), the core technical partner of the Fast Track Cities initiative, and Gilead Sciences. The survey respondents included 18,169 HIV-negative[4] adults living in nine countries in Western Europe, including seven with Fast-Track Cities (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, Ireland, Austria, The Netherlands and Switzerland) and 6,043 HIV-negative§ adults living in three countries in Eastern Europe, two with Fast-Track Cities (Romania, Ukraine and the Russian Federations). The survey aimed to provide insights into the general publics’ awareness, perceptions, knowledge, and attitudes towards HIV. The survey was fielded in June 2018 by the independent market research company Opinium. Additional survey data will be made available during 2018 and 2019.

About Fast-Track Cities

Cities bear a large share of the global HIV burden. In countries with large HIV epidemics, the numbers of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in urban areas are so high that effective city-level action is likely to influence national outcomes. Even where an HIV epidemic is smaller, cities are home to large numbers of people belonging to key populations at higher risk of HIV infection but which often receive limited attention in HIV programs. The Fast-Track Cities is a global partnership between more than 250 high HIV burden cities, the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), and the city of Paris. The initiative was launched on World AIDS Day 2014 in Paris. For more information please visit: http://www.fast-trackcities.org.

About the UNAIDS 90-90-90 Targets

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) asserts that attaining the 90-90-90 targets is a means of placing national and municipal jurisdictions on a trajectory towards ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. The targets translate into:

  • 90% of people living with HIV (PLHIV) knowing their HIV status
  • 90% of PLHIV who know their HIV-positive status on antiretroviral therapy (ART)
  • 90% of PLHIV on ART achieving viral suppression

About Gilead Sciences

Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a research-based biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and commercializes innovative medicines in areas of unmet medical need. The company strives to transform and simplify care for people with life-threatening illnesses around the world. Gilead has operations in more than 35 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Foster City, California.

For nearly 30 years, Gilead has been a leading innovator in the field of HIV, driving advances in treatment, prevention and cure research. Today, it’s estimated that more than 11.5 million people living with HIV globally receive antiretroviral therapy provided by Gilead or one of the company’s generic manufacturing partners.

For more information on Gilead Sciences, please visit the company’s website at www.gilead.com, follow Gilead on Twitter (@GileadSciences) or call Gilead Public Affairs at 1-800-GILEAD-5 or 1-650-574-3000.

 

References

[1] The 12 countries included 9 with Fast-Track Cities: Austria, France, Germany, Netherlands, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine and United Kingdom

[2] ‘Eastern Europe’; Romania, Russia, Ukraine (n=6,043)

[3] ‘Western Europe’; Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom (n=18,169)

[4] Self-described

[i] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). HIV Stigma Fact Sheet. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/actagainstaids/pdf/campaigns/lsht/cdc-hiv-TogetherStigmaFactSheet.pdf [last accessed July 2018]

[ii] ECDC. HIV/AIDS surveillance in Europe 2017. Available at https://ecdc.europa.eu/sites/portal/files/documents/20171127-Annual_HIV_Report_Cover%2BInner.pdf [last accessed July 2018]

[iii] Opinium. Is HIV sorted survey (sample: 18,169). June – July 2018. Survey commissioned by the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC) and Gilead Sciences.

 

Fast-Track Cities Initiatives well represented at IAS 2017

The Fast-Track Cities initiative was well represented at IAS 2017 in Paris last month. In addition to a panel session reflecting the experiences of five Fast-Track Cities, the 2017 UNAIDS Global Update (Ending AIDS: Progress Towards the 90-90-90 Targets) featured the initiative to promote accelerated urban AIDS responses striving to attain the 90-90-90 Targets. IAPAC also launched three Fast-Track City dashboards – Bangkok, Nairobi County, and New Orleans – and presented two Fast-Track Cities-themed posters related to 90-90-90 and HIV care continuum data and expanding access to HIV self-testing. Click here to view a video from the Fast-Track Cities panel session at IAS 2017.

IAPAC launches Recommendations for the Rapid Expansion of HIV Self-Testing in Fast-Track Cities

IAPAC launched Recommendations for the Rapid Expansion of HIV Self-Testing in Fast-Track Cities during a joint Brazilian National STI, HIV/AIDS & Viral Hepatitis Program – IAPAC meeting of that country’s cities held January 26, 2017, in Brasília. Developed in collaboration with ASLM, the recommendations promote interventions to break down barriers to this testing technology and promote linkage to HIV care and prevention. Click here to access the recommendations.

IAPAC launches Fast-Track Cities global web portal

IAPAC launched the Fast-Track Cities global web portal and five city dashboards – Amsterdam, Denver, Kyiv, Paris, and San Francisco – at AIDS 2016 in Durban, South Africa. The web-based monitoring and evaluation platforms allow participating cities to monitor and report progress against 90-90-90 and zero stigma and discrimination targets. Click here to read the launch press release, or here to access the web portal and city dashboards. You may also click here to access an animated video that navigates through the web portal and a city dashboard, highlighting the wealth of data and information that are mapped and visualized.