Congress Rejects HIV Cuts, But Flat Funding Won't End the Epidemic
As of this writing, the FY2026 Labor, Health and Human Services appropriations bill awaits final passage. The Senate is expected to pass the package Friday night, with the House voting Monday evening. A brief partial shutdown through the weekend appears unavoidable. The following analysis assumes the legislation passes as currently written.
After a year of proposed cuts that created significant uncertainty for HIV programs and the communities they serve, Congress has negotiated a spending package that maintains current funding levels while falling short of what ending the epidemic requires. The bill, released January 20, 2026, rejects over $1.7 billion in proposed cuts and preserves funding for Ryan White, the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative, and CDC prevention programs. It also includes the first major pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reforms in Medicare Part D in nearly two decades, a development with significant implications for patient access to HIV and hepatitis C medications.
Yet flat funding cannot meet growing demands, particularly as long-acting therapeutics promise to transform HIV prevention and care for those who need them most. In an environment where maintaining the status quo requires extraordinary effort, advocates must reckon with an uncomfortable truth: the status quo is not enough to end the epidemic.
What Was at Stake
The path to this appropriations package has been fraught, to say the least. In May 2025, the Trump administration proposed $31.3 billion in cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services, including a 40% reduction to NIH and the consolidation of its 27 institutes into eight. The proposal called for eliminating HIV prevention programs entirely and restructuring HHS agencies, including folding SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) into a new "Administration for a Healthy America."
The House Appropriations Committee's September 2025 bill embraced much of this vision. It provided zero funding for CDC HIV prevention programs, proposed cutting the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program by 20%, and would have eliminated the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative completely. CDC funding faced a nearly 20% reduction overall.
The final package represents a decisive rejection of these proposals. Congress preserved the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program at $2.6 billion, maintained the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative at $165 million, and funded CDC HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STDs, and TB Prevention at $1.384 billion. The Minority HIV/AIDS Fund received $56 million. The bill closely tracks the bipartisan Senate proposal that advanced from committee in July 2025, a predictable outcome given the Senate's historical role as a moderating force on appropriations. The Administration's proposed cuts and the House bill were never likely to survive a bicameral process intact, but their existence created uncertainty that disrupted planning and strained already stretched public health infrastructure throughout the year.
Flat Funding Is Not Progress
Preserving current funding levels is not the same as meeting current needs. The American Academy of HIV Medicinedescribed the bill as presenting "a mixed picture for domestic HIV programs," noting that level funding will not achieve the goals set forth in the Ending the HIV Epidemic plan launched during the first Trump administration or address a rise in HIV transmission outbreaks as we’ve seen in Maine and New York.
The timing makes this particularly frustrating. Long-acting injectable treatments and prevention options are transforming what is possible in HIV care. Lenacapavir for PrEP offers twice-yearly dosing. Long-acting cabotegravir and rilpivirine provide monthly or bimonthly treatment options for people who struggle with daily pills or face adherence barriers. These innovations could reach people who have historically fallen through the cracks of our prevention and treatment infrastructure, but scaling them requires investment that flat funding cannot provide.
Prevention initiatives, workforce development, training programs, and the rollout of new innovations are particularly vulnerable under current funding levels. Without targeted investment, long-acting options will remain inaccessible to people in Medicaid-dependent, rural, and underserved areas. The tools exist to end HIV as a public health threat. The political will to fund their deployment does not.
Within the broader infectious disease category, the bill sends mixed signals. Viral hepatitis prevention received a $3 million increase to $46 million, one of the few areas to see any growth. STI prevention, by contrast, took a $10 million cut to $164 million. While provisional 2024 data shows overall STI cases declining for the third consecutive year, reported syphilis cases and congenital syphilis remain at historically high levels, with continued increases in some demographics. Cutting prevention funding while these disparities persist is shortsighted.
Harm Reduction: Evidence Ignored
The bill's approach to harm reduction reveals a troubling gap between public health evidence and legislative ideology. Section 525 maintains the longstanding prohibition on using federal funds to purchase sterile needles or syringes, with a narrow exception for jurisdictions experiencing or at risk for HIV or hepatitis outbreaks. This reactive approach undermines prevention and contradicts the government's own evidence base.
The VA, in a December 2025 analysis of its harm reduction programs, described syringe services programs as "one of the most effective public health interventions ever devised," noting they decrease new HIV and HCV infections by up to 67% and increase the likelihood of achieving abstinence five-fold. The VA further emphasized that these programs "do not enable or increase drug use, nor do they cause increases in crime."
The appropriations bill ignores this evidence. Report language frames harm reduction through an abstinence-first lens, elevating the administration's efforts to "prioritize prevention, treatment, and long-term recovery." This framing treats harm reduction and recovery as opposing forces when the evidence shows they are complementary. Meeting people where they are is essential to eventually connecting them with treatment. Restricting proven interventions on ideological grounds costs lives.
The bill does maintain substance use disorder treatment funding, with SAMHSA receiving $7.44 billion (a $65 million increase), State Opioid Response Grants at $1.6 billion, and CARA First Responder Training at $59 million. These investments matter. But they would matter more if paired with evidence-based harm reduction that keeps people alive long enough to access treatment.
PBM Reform: A Genuine Win With Implementation Risks
The inclusion of pharmacy benefit manager reforms represents a genuine policy achievement and the first major PBM reform in Medicare Part D in nearly 20 years. For people living with HIV and hepatitis C who depend on specialty medications, these provisions could meaningfully improve access and reduce costs.
The reforms target the opaque practices that have allowed PBMs to profit at the expense of patients and plan sponsors. Beginning in 2028, PBM compensation in Medicare Part D will be delinked from drug list prices, eliminating the perverse incentive to favor higher-priced medications. PBMs will be required to pass through 100% of manufacturer rebates and fees to plan sponsors. The bill bans spread pricing in Medicaid, where PBMs have profited by charging plans more than they reimburse pharmacies. CMS receives $188 million for implementation and new authority to define and enforce "reasonable and relevant" contract terms between Part D plans and pharmacies.
The transparency provisions are equally significant. PBMs must report pricing information, including all rebates negotiated with manufacturers, directly to plan sponsors and HHS. For PBMs with affiliated mail-order or specialty pharmacies, the bill requires disclosure of any benefit design parameters that steer prescriptions to those pharmacies. This addresses a core concern: vertically integrated PBMs using formulary placement and prior authorization requirements to drive volume to their own pharmacies at the expense of patient choice and community pharmacy access.
For people living with HIV, the stakes are concrete. Specialty HIV medications flow through PBM-controlled channels that have historically lacked transparency around rebates, formulary decisions, and pharmacy reimbursement. The reforms create mechanisms to challenge contract terms that effectively exclude community pharmacies or impose unreasonable administrative burdens. The appeals process for pharmacies to dispute terms that fail the "reasonable and relevant" standard could prove particularly important for independent and specialty pharmacies serving HIV populations.
The risk, as always, lies in implementation and industry adaptation. PBMs have proven adept at restructuring their business practices to maintain margins when regulations target specific revenue streams. The provisions take effect in 2028 for Medicare and 2029 for pharmacy contract standards, giving industry ample time to identify workarounds. Advocates should watch for attempts to shift costs to patients through benefit design changes, or to game the "reasonable and relevant" standard through contract terms that are technically compliant but practically exclusionary. The history of PBM regulation is a history of regulatory arbitrage, and vigilance will be required to ensure these reforms deliver their intended benefits.
Structural Protections and Access Provisions
Beyond funding levels, the bill includes important structural provisions. It rejects the administration's proposed HHS restructuring and requires the Secretary to provide detailed justification to Congress at least 60 days before any reorganization affecting CDC functions. Grant terminations now require three days' advance notice to appropriations committees. These guardrails matter in an environment where administrative action has disrupted programs faster than legislative oversight can respond.
The package extends Medicare telehealth waivers through December 31, 2027, maintains community health center funding at $4.6 billion plus bridge funding, and delays Medicaid disproportionate share hospital cuts until September 2028. These provisions support healthcare access in underserved communities where HIV and viral hepatitis programs depend on functioning safety-net infrastructure.
The Work Ahead
Assuming the bill passes as expected, funding appropriated is not funding effectively deployed. The same administration that proposed eliminating these programs will now oversee their implementation. How HHS manages grant administration, staffing, and program guidance will determine whether level funding translates into maintained services or quiet erosion. The bill's requirements for advance notice on grant terminations and reorganization plans provide some guardrails, but vigilance will be required.
The United States has the tools to end HIV as a public health threat. Long-acting prevention and treatment options could reach people who daily pills cannot. Harm reduction keeps people alive and connected to care. Ryan White and the EHE initiative provide the programmatic infrastructure. What we lack is the political will to fund these efforts at the scale required and the moral clarity to implement evidence-based policy over ideological preference.
Flat funding is not progress. It is a holding pattern in an environment where holding ground required effort. The work ahead is ensuring these programs are implemented effectively while continuing to push for the investment these programs actually need. The fight for adequate funding, evidence-based policy, and equitable access continues.
How Pharma Can Turn Advocates Into Allies
Governor Ned Lamont's recent visit to ViiV Healthcare's Branford research facility highlighted a missed opportunity that extends far beyond Connecticut's biotech sector. While Gov. Lamont toured laboratories where researchers develop long-acting injectable HIV prevention drugs, the scene raised a compelling question: What if pharmaceutical companies routinely invited advocacy leaders—not just politicians—behind the scenes for plant tours, CEO roundtables, and genuine engagement with the science that drives their work?
This moment arrives at a critical juncture for disease advocacy organizations across therapeutic areas. As federal funding faces unprecedented cuts and advocacy groups struggle for sustainability, the pharmaceutical industry's evolution from traditional grant-maker to authentic community partner offers a transformative model that could reshape how companies support grassroots organizations serving people living with HIV, hepatitis C, lupus, rare diseases, and countless other conditions.
Federal Funding Collapse Creates Cross-Disease Crisis
The Trump Administration's systematic dismantling of federal health programs creates funding gaps that affect advocacy organizations across all disease states. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s HIV Prevention Division faces nearly $1 billion in cuts, while the National Institutes of Health (NIH) confronts a 40% reduction in its $3.3 billion HIV research portfolio. Over 200 HIV/AIDS research grants have been terminated since January 2025.
These cuts reverberate beyond HIV advocacy. Chronic disease programs, rare disease research initiatives, and community health grants face similar reductions, leaving advocacy organizations across therapeutic areas scrambling for alternative funding sources. Los Angeles County's 39 HIV organizations received contract termination notices affecting $19 million in CDC funding, a harbinger of what advocacy groups in oncology, autoimmune diseases, and rare conditions could expect.
Industry's $100 Million Evolution
Pharmaceutical companies have been pioneering investments that transcend traditional grant-making, demonstrating innovation in community partnerships that becomes critical as federal funding disappears. ViiV Healthcare's $7.8 million Fund Our Futures pledge, announced in November 2024, exemplifies this shift through their AMP Grant Initiative, where 13 organizations distribute funds to activate over 150 grassroots projects—the first time a pharmaceutical company has empowered communities to make their own funding decisions.
Gilead Sciences leads with $24 million through their Zeroing In program and an additional $12.6 million Setting the P.A.C.E. Initiative serving Black women and girls. Merck's $7 million HIV Care Connect initiative addresses social determinants of health over five years.
These programs demonstrate authentic partnership through direct C-suite executive participation in community dialogues, real influence for community advisory boards on corporate decision-making, and holistic approaches addressing social determinants beyond strict “medical” needs.
A Hard Look at the Two-Tier Funding System
The funding divide between established and grassroots advocacy organizations is stark. amfAR has raised nearly $950 million since 1985, including over $17 million at their 2024 Cannes Gala alone, while the National Minority AIDS Council operates on $5-7 million annually with executive compensation exceeding $400,000.
The reality for smaller organizations is far different. Kristy Kibler, CEO of Lupus Colorado, details the issue: "Small, state level patient groups are drowning in too many programs created to generate funding and need to be more bold in asking for operational support. We can not continue to ask patients and their families to keep these orgs financially afloat."
Warren Alexander O'Meara-Dates, Founder/CEO of The 6:52 Project Foundation, echoes these challenges from the HIV advocacy space: "Without name recognition and measured outcomes for programs, pharma companies often times do not align themselves with us. Additionally, the strict guidelines set in application processes, tend to eliminate our ability to qualify for and/or apply for support."
Pharmaceutical companies contribute to this disparity through their funding patterns. "They often support the two national orgs who do not invest locally or pass along any of that funding which leaves little room in their budgets to support our state level work," Kristy explains. Meanwhile, staffing instability devastates smaller organizations: "We have had two partners eliminate their advocacy teams and leave us without even a contact at their company."
This creates self-reinforcing cycles where established organizations possess infrastructure for complex grant applications and institutional relationships that survive personnel turnover. AIDS United's average grant size of $36,522 often represents a lifeline for smaller entities, but similar micro-funding challenges affect almost all small and upstart advocacy organizations.
Innovation Models Ready for Cross-Disease Application
Sophisticated engagement strategies pioneered in HIV advocacy provide blueprints for other disease areas. European Community Advisory Board meetings bring advocates directly into dialogue with pharmaceutical executives, where community members have real influence on drug development and safety protocols. Bristol Myers Squibb's Global Patient Outreach structure integrates patient voice into all business decisions—a model that spans their oncology and other therapeutic portfolios.
Executive engagement has become central to these partnerships. Carmen Villar, Gilead's VP of ESG and Corporate Citizenship, leads direct dialogue sessions with community leaders, while ViiV executives participate in European advisory meetings where advocates shape corporate strategy. This direct access allows advocacy organizations to influence corporate policies, research priorities, and community investment strategies in real time.
Experiential Investment Over Transactional Charity
The pharmaceutical industry has an unprecedented opportunity to model transformative advocacy investment across all disease states. Rather than simply writing checks, companies should create meaningful engagement opportunities that build advocacy capacity and strengthen community-industry relationships.
Plant tours and research facility visits represent one powerful model. Kristy from Lupus Colorado articulates what advocacy leaders want: "I would want to know what barriers the trials are facing, specifically in the lupus community. It would be helpful to get some education on how their drugs work and why they are novel so that we can help generate excitement and hope in our patients."
Warren from The 6:52 Project emphasizes the importance of understanding pharmaceutical development processes: "What process does new product development go through from concept to market sales. Therein, I would like to learn how much community input is involved during the process."
The value extends beyond education to building trust and credibility. Warren notes that "having access to c-suite executives would benefit my organization because it would allow us to share stories of success and barriers serving marginalized communities in rural areas. Doing so would shape better relationship building with community such that trust of pharma and their intentions could be increased."
Beyond plant tours, pharmaceutical companies can leverage advocacy organizations as strategic resources. "Using us as a resource for trial participants, connection with their sales reps to help us open doors into provider space, co-branded marketing materials," Kristy suggests. Warren emphasizes the credibility factor: "Credibility partnering with a major corporation increases validity of programming offerings for smaller organizations like mine."
The most transformative opportunity lies in giving advocacy organizations real influence over corporate strategy from the beginning. Warren advocates for "including my expertise in developing products for community from conception" rather than "waiting until later in the process." This represents a fundamental shift from charitable giving to authentic partnership.
Forward-thinking pharmaceutical companies should establish advocacy advisory boards that include smaller, state-level organizations across therapeutic areas, not just established national groups. Launch executive mentorship programs pairing pharmaceutical executives with advocacy leaders. Create structured programs bringing advocacy leaders to research facilities and executive meetings. Provide operational support that moves beyond program-specific grants to unrestricted funding that builds organizational capacity.
The convergence of federal funding cuts and industry innovation creates a critical window for establishing alternative advocacy funding ecosystems. Companies that pioneer experiential investment models across disease states will strengthen their community relationships and position themselves as leaders in sustainable public health advocacy.
Imagine a pharmaceutical industry that recognizes the untapped potential in scrappy, nimble advocacy organizations led by people who understand their communities' needs intimately. These creative advocates—like Kristy in Colorado working directly with lupus patients, or Warren serving marginalized communities in rural areas—bring innovation, agility, and authentic community connections that larger legacy organizations often lack. They deserve more than the leftover funding after national organizations take their share.
The pharmaceutical industry has the opportunity to empower and equip these advocates not just with financial resources, but with knowledge, access, and genuine partnership. When companies invest time in plant tours, executive mentorship, and collaborative strategy sessions with smaller advocacy organizations, they tap into a reservoir of community insight and innovative approaches that could transform how medicine reaches the people who need it most. The scrappy organizations working closest to affected communities often have the boldest ideas and the strongest commitment to change—they simply need industry partners willing to see past the polished grant applications of established organizations to recognize the potential of authentic grassroots advocacy.
This moment demands more than transactional charity. It calls for industry to reimagine community investment as true partnership with the advocates who know their communities best.
A Patient Advocate’s Perspective: The Call of this Moment
Earlier this year, I asked myself and the global public health field a serious question; Are we dedicated to the service of humanity, or are we serving our egos? That question rightfully ruffled feathers that needed to be ruffled. The reality is we live in a time that because of the loudest parties doing the very least, the “truth” is a question instead of fact.
We seem to be on a precipice when we should be finding ourselves at a critical decision point. As we approach the end of the year, an election that will undoubtedly shape our work, global conflict, the realization of climate change and the 2025 Standard Development Goals, I find myself asking a different question, “Are we ready and willing to do what is needed to meet this moment?” Additionally, are we prepared to get out of our own way or get out of the way of others if we are the obstacles?
We find ourselves in a world of increased polarization, the “us versus them” chasm that has only widened over the years, creating an environment that makes bipartisanship seem impossible. We also find ourselves at a stalemate in the HIV space; it is no longer the “sexy” disease with the global leadership and investment it has had. Our political leadership lacks follow through on its historical, robust commitments, non-profits are strained and advocates are burnt out. We have yet to acknowledge the lasting impact COVID-19 has had on all of us and the permanent damage it has done to trust in governments, science, and the goodwill of our neighbors, both domestically and globally. We have long shouted that communities who have led our movement since the early days should be involved in every element of the process. I believe that it is long past due to these same communities who are most impacted (not only by HIV and chronic illnesses but are in the center of the target of divisive political issues) should be holding the reins, they know what their communities need and want.
Self-reflection should be an essential part of our work, collectively and individually. We need to have space and time to reflect on our personal impact, influence, and commitment. In the field of public health, who does and how we decide who has power can have lasting and profound impact on the well-being of millions. Who is sitting at the top of the food chain at places like the CDC matters. Qualifications and experience over the partisan nonsense that we daily find ourselves in should be priority number one. When we allow the divisive climate to infiltrate our own ranks it has consequences. CANN’s CEO, Jen Laws, frequently reflects on the damage caused by Democrats’ role in forcing out Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). “Fitzgerald had an objectively good background for leading the CDC, especially with her history of improving Georgia’s childhood vaccine uptake. Ending up in an environment where a known HIV vaccine scam artist was leading the CDC was absolutely catastrophic to our COVID response, public trust in public health, and renewed vaccine hesitancy.” Jen has never been one to mince words. Indeed, that short-sightedness led by partisan motivation has resulted in renewed vaccine hesitancy, HIV denialism, and weaponizing health conditions in order to oppose the civil rights of immigrants.
While ethical oversight is critical, our focus should remain on appointing leaders who are scientifically rigorous, experienced, and free from extreme ideological positions that could harm public health efforts. Effective public health leadership requires the ability to build coalitions, foster trust, and base decisions on the best available evidence—regardless of political affiliation. The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the need for clear, consistent messaging and policies that prioritize public health over politics.
As we tackle ongoing public health challenges from infectious diseases to the opioid epidemic, rising rates of chronic illness and emerging health threats, it is imperative that future CDC leaders be chosen based on their qualifications and experience, not as a result of political maneuvering. Bipartisan collaboration ensure that the CDC and other agencies remain focused on their primary mission: protecting the health and well-being of all Americans.
This moment calls for us to return to objective truth instead of fear mongering and conspiracy, the acceptance that two things can be true at the same time, but it also calls on us to have hope that there is a future where public health is something we can agree on both sides of the aisle about. I don’t think that starts with our politicians, that starts with each of us willing to cross the street to meet our neighbors, to find what we have in common instead of the things that have separated us for far too long. We need to return to a culture where our politicians are far more concerned about their constituents instead of sound bites, where we lead with the intention of collaboration and finding bipartisan ways to renew political investment ensuring equitable access to health for everyone.
We are indeed at an inflection point, as highlighted by our friends at the O’Neill Institute. We must renew our commitment to ending HIV and the partisanship that drives disparities in access to care, degradation of our civil and human rights, and blinds us to the humanity of our neighbors.
Public Input Needed: Offer Input on HIV, STI, Vaccine, and Hepatitis Policies
The Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy (OIDP) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), alongside the White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP), has released a Request for Information (RFI) to inform the 2026–2030 national strategic plans for HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), vaccines, and viral hepatitis. This RFI represents a key opportunity for public health stakeholders to shape policies that will directly impact prevention, treatment, and care for millions of people across the country.
Why Strategic Planning Matters
National strategic plans guide public health efforts at federal, state, and local levels. They establish priorities, direct resource allocation, and shape policies that determine the availability and quality of health services. The upcoming 2026–2030 plans aim to build on past progress while addressing new and evolving challenges.
For instance, the National HIV/AIDS Strategy for 2022–2025 set ambitious goals to reduce new HIV infections by 75% by 2025 and by 90% by 2030. Similarly, the Viral Hepatitis National Strategic Plan aims to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030. These strategies are powerful tools that help us move toward improved health outcomes by setting clear goals and priorities.
What the Strategic Plans Address
Each of the four national strategies addresses unique public health challenges:
National HIV/AIDS Strategy – Sets forth a roadmap to end the HIV epidemic in the United States, with goals including:
Prevent New HIV Infections: Increasing awareness, testing, and access to prevention tools like PrEP and PEP, while reducing HIV-related stigma.
Improve Health Outcomes for People with HIV: Promoting early linkage to care, long-term retention, and viral suppression through integrated and culturally competent health services.
Reduce Disparities and Inequities: Addressing structural factors such as stigma and discrimination and focusing efforts on disproportionately affected populations.
Achieve Integrated, Coordinated Efforts: Promoting collaboration across sectors to integrate HIV prevention with services for STIs, viral hepatitis, and mental health, among others.
Sexually Transmitted Infections National Strategic Plan – Aims to respond to rising STI rates by:
Preventing New STIs: Increasing awareness, expanding prevention activities, and improving vaccination rates for HPV.
Improving Health Outcomes: Expanding screening and treatment in impacted communities.
Accelerating STI Research and Innovation: Supporting the development of vaccines, diagnostic tools, and treatment options.
Reducing STI Disparities and Inequities: Addressing stigma, expanding culturally competent services, and addressing social determinants of health.
Achieving Integrated, Coordinated Efforts: Promoting collaboration across STI, HIV, and viral hepatitis prevention efforts.
Vaccines National Strategic Plan – Focuses on eliminating vaccine-preventable diseases by:
Fostering Innovation in Vaccine Development: Supporting research and development of new vaccines and technologies.
Maintaining Vaccine Safety: Enhancing safety monitoring and public awareness of vaccine-related risks.
Increasing Vaccine Knowledge and Confidence: Addressing vaccine misinformation and improving public understanding of vaccine benefits.
Improving Access and Uptake: Reducing barriers to vaccine access and improving coverage, especially in underserved populations.
Supporting Global Immunization Efforts: Strengthening international collaboration on vaccine initiatives.
Viral Hepatitis National Strategic Plan – Targets the elimination of viral hepatitis as a public health threat, with goals such as:
Preventing New Infections: Increasing vaccination for hepatitis A and B and addressing transmission among people who use drugs.
Improving Health Outcomes: Ensuring timely testing, treatment, and retention in care for people with viral hepatitis.
Reducing Disparities and Inequities: Addressing stigma, enhancing culturally competent care, and focusing resources on high-risk populations.
Improving Surveillance and Data Usage: Enhancing data collection and sharing to better understand and address viral hepatitis trends.
Achieving Integrated, Coordinated Efforts: Promoting partnerships that address viral hepatitis, HIV, STIs, and substance use disorders together.
The Importance of Public Input
Public participation in the RFI process ensures that these plans reflect the real needs of communities. When stakeholders provide insights based on their experiences, it helps to ensure that strategic plans are grounded in the realities of public health challenges. The voices of people living with HIV (PLWH) and their advocates have led to a greater emphasis on reducing stigma and expanding access to essential services like mental health and substance use support. This type of feedback is needed in order to ensure that health strategies address barriers to care, particularly among marginalized populations, and incorporate promising approaches to delivering services and engaging communities.
By providing input, you can help shape strategies for integrating services across HIV, STIs, viral hepatitis, and vaccine-preventable diseases, making it easier for patients to navigate the healthcare system. Your insights could also highlight ways to leverage new technologies and data systems to improve health outcomes, ultimately influencing policies that determine the availability and quality of health services across the country.
How to Participate
To make your feedback impactful, it's important to examine the existing strategic plans (linked above) and identify areas that could benefit from improvement or expansion. Consider submitting detailed, data-driven feedback based on your experiences or expertise, connecting your observations with broader public health trends or research. Highlighting emerging issues that are currently underrepresented in the plans can also make a significant difference. Additionally, sharing effective practices from your work or community that could be scaled nationally will help ensure that these strategies are practical and inclusive.
The deadline for submitting comments is December 6, 2024, at 11:59 pm ET. You can participate by submitting your feedback through the online form. Your contribution can help create a public health system that is responsive to the needs of all communities.
Why Your Input Matters
By contributing to this RFI, you help ensure that public health strategies are grounded in evidence and lived experience, and are responsive to the communities most affected by HIV, STIs, viral hepatitis, and vaccine-preventable diseases. Your feedback can shape policies that address the most pressing needs of people impacted by these conditions, advance evidence-based approaches, reduce health disparities, and promote equity. Moreover, your input can help improve coordination across healthcare systems and levels of government, ultimately leading to better health outcomes for millions of people.
Your voice matters in shaping the future of public health. Participate in advocacy campaigns by joining public health advocacy groups working to ensure equitable health policies. Share this information with colleagues, networks, and community members who might also want to contribute their insights. Engaging in webinars or public discussions related to the strategic plans can also help you stay informed and connected, providing more opportunities to make an impact.
Final Thoughts
The 2026–2030 national strategic plans will shape public health policy in the U.S. for years to come. Your participation in the RFI process gives you a voice in crafting strategies that are effective, equitable, and responsive to community needs. By sharing your knowledge and experiences, you can help create a future where public health efforts truly serve all communities.
Together, we can make a difference—let's ensure that these plans reflect the needs of everyone, especially those most impacted.