1. Data from 2023 shows that gay men of color, Black women, and the transgender community have had much less access to PrEP than they need to. EHE funding enabled health departments and CBOs to hire hundreds of new field staff. Also, 2022 data showed the number of people on PrEP doubled after COVID restrictions went away. NMAC asks health departments and community-based organizations to continue investing in their organizational capacity building through biomedical and prevention training for their invaluable staff.
2. The Summit is the country’s largest trainer of PrEP and U=U case managers. Biomedical solutions require education and training that includes community. As data has proven, too often the latest HIV treatment information does not reach the people most in need. Over the last 8 years, thanks to Presenting Sponsor Gilead Sciences, the Summit has trained and keeps thousands in the field informed and educated about the science of biomedical HIV prevention. In 2023 alone we had over 1,200 people in 2023 alone.
3. Our field needs training in a critical election year that threatens funding across all HIV efforts. The Summit’s timing and learnings are critical especially as the numbers on PrEP increase and our prevention materials receive added scrutiny from Congress. If an elected official reviews your materials, are you ready for the potential fall-out? This is a real consideration for health departments and CBOs in deep blue states. How does our movement reach communities that are now outlawed, stigmatized, and made into second class citizens while balancing unfounded political concerns that we are grooming young people?
4. This year’s meeting centers on translating research, science and data. For too many years, lifesaving data did not either include or was not shared with people of color impacted by HIV. This theme underscores the need to bring science back to the community in a way that can be easily understood by healthcare and services providers, and then communicated to their clients. We have a responsibility to educate and reach everyone highly impacted by HIV. Case managers, particularly those with lived experience, are core to ending the HIV epidemic!
5. The 2024 Summit commemorates research epidemiologist and community advocate, Dr. Stephaun Wallace. To honor his legacy, NMAC will work with HIV vaccine research institutions to build on his dream to DO WHAT. Losing this public health hero heightens our intent to bring Dr. Wallace’s commitment and brilliance to our people.
6. The 2024 Summit will host a plenary on Native American/Alaska Native communities. Like past Summits, this plenary too will be organized by the community. Regardless of political stances, NMAC will continue to lead with race, and remain committed to telling stories of community, by community, and from community. So, we are proud to have Christopher Paisano, NMAC’s Indian Country Program Coordinator, to support this effort.
7. History and context matter. In the 90’s, NMAC along with several HIV treatment agencies hosted NATAF (National AIDS Treatment Activist Forum) with support from the NIH Office of AIDS Research. NATAF trained our field about protease inhibitors and combination antiretroviral therapy. Those new drugs would change the game, but only if people living with HIV and community providers were educated. The Summit is an extension of that effort to bring lifesaving biomedical solutions to the people by training the workforce. To educate our field about HIV treatments in a world with PrEP and U=U, and to build community leaders committed to HIV PrEP, U=U, and ending the HIV epidemic.
This is the year for building up the HIV movement by skilling up our workforce. We need more than thoughts and prayers. NMAC thanks Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS for underwriting additional scholarships for this year’s Summit. See you in Seattle!
Yours in the struggle,
Paul Kawata
Comments
Comments