Ending the HIV Epidemic
Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. (EHE) seeks to reduce the number of new HIV infections in the United States by 75 percent by 2025, and then by at least 90 percent by 2030, for an estimated 250,000 total HIV infections averted with an end goal of ending new HIV infections in the US.
The EHE initiative has four main pillars (goals): Diagnose, Treat, Prevent and Respond. Boston is funded for pillars two and four: Treat and Respond.
Mission and Vision
mISSION:
The Mission of the EHE program is to identify individuals newly diagnosed with HIV and connect them to services, as well as assist those who have been living with HIV but who may have fallen out of care or are struggling to stay in care with reconnecting with or managing their HIV treatment with an end goal of achieving viral suppression (where the amount of virus in a person's body is so low it can't be detected through an HIV test), thus making it virtually impossible to transmit HIV to another person through sex.
Vision
BPHC understands that there are many factors that impact a person's ability to prioritize their health and wellness, including their HIV care and treatment, including but not limited to housing or food insecurity, lack of or insufficient transportation options to make it to or from medical or social service appointments, substance use disorder, mental health needs, a lack of culturally or linguistically competent services or programs in the area, etc. BPHC utilizes EHE funding, which has less restrictions than Ryan White, to aid in identifying and removing barriers to care for newly diagnosed individuals or those long term survivors who need some extra assistance to continue not just surviving but thriving with HIV.
In year four of the program, the Boston Public Health Commission, within the Ryan White Services Division of the Infectious Disease Bureau, has issued funding to seven agencies in Boston, totaling just under $700,000. Services funded include Emergency Financial Assistance, Food Bank and Home Delivered Meals, Medical Case Management, Legal Services, Initiative Services, and Outreach Services.