CDC Posts 2014 State HIV Prevention Progress Report

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released the first annual 2014 State HIV Prevention Progress Report . This report shows that the nation’s HIV prevention goals are achievable, but closing gaps between states will be critical.

“This report is a tool that can be used in conjunction with other sources of information to actively monitor, assess, and improve state progress across the HIV continuum of care and improve the health of people living with HIV,” observed Eugene McCray, MD, Director of CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention.

Using data from CDC’s HIV surveillance systems, the report offers baseline information on the most urgent HIV prevention priorities for strengthening states’ HIV prevention and care efforts. This report focuses on six key indicators that can be measured at the state level. These outcomes reflect goals within the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS), Healthy People 2020, and the CDC Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention's strategic plan.

While the report shows that a number of states have already met or exceeded the national goals for 2015 for some indicators, the results show the need for improvement on one or more indicators in each and every state. In addition, overall, there is a wide gap in the results between states on most measures, indicating that people in some states are not benefiting equally from advances in HIV care and prevention. That gap likely reflects a complex range of differences between states, including levels of HIV burden, public health priorities, economic realities, health care systems, quality of data, existing infrastructure for HIV services, community response, and population demographics. In addition, resources vary with regard to federal, state, and local funding.

The report, another in a series of indicator reports from CDC, aimed at tracking and measuring impact on the most urgent HIV prevention and care priorities, will serve as a tool that can be used in conjunction with other sources of information to actively monitor, assess, and improve state progress across the HIV continuum of care and improve the health of people living with HIV. The report offers an important opportunity to reflect on states’ individual progress and on progress between states, on national estimates, and on 2015 goals. To reach the 2015 national goals, accelerated progress is needed both nationally and locally.