IAPAC Retrofits Fast-Track Cities Dashboards to Visualize COVID-19 Data and Resources
WASHINGTON, DC, USA (April 20, 2020) – The International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC), in partnership with Dure Technologies and the Fast-Track Cities Institute, is retrofitting its Fast-Track City dashboards to visualize confirmed COVID-19 case, death, and recovery data alongside existing municipal-level HIV data the dashboards have visualized since 2015. In addition to the COVID-19 data, the retrofitted dashboards will map COVID-19-related services and illustrate COVID-19 data trends.
The first two retrofitted Fast-Track City dashboards launched today are for the cities of London and New York City. Additional retrofitted dashboards will be launched later this week, available via the Fast-Track Cities Global Web Portal. Following are links to the London and New York City dashboards:
- London: http://www.fast-trackcities.org/cities/london-covid
- New York City: http://www.fast-trackcities.org/cities/new-york-covid
“The COVID-19 pandemic is disrupting health systems in urban centers and its impact can be measured in lives endangered and too many lives tragically lost,” said IAPAC President/CEO Dr. José M. Zuniga, who is Chair of the Fast-Track Cities Institute. “By retrofitting city dashboards, we remain true to a central tenet of the Fast-Track Cities initiative: data-driven action. Visualizing a city’s COVID-19 data reinforces local public health measures to mitigate new SARS-CoV-2 infections. Mapping COVID-19-related services is also public service to complement efforts by local health departments to communicate critical public health resources and other information.”
“We are proud to partner with IAPAC and the Fast-Track Cities Institute to leverage Fast-Track Cities dashboards to serve the public good at a time of suffering caused by the burgeoning COVID-19 pandemic,” said Vipin Yadav, CEO of Dure Technologies, the Fast-Track Cities initiative’s IT partner. “While we hope local COVID-19 epidemics subside in the near future, we believe cutting-edge technology is key to advancing public health initiatives. We are prepared to continue delivering this public service to Fast-Track Cities for the foreseeable future.”
COVID-19 and HIV, TB, and Viral Hepatitis Education
While there are not enough data today to determine whether people living with HIV are at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, people who have underlying conditions, including infectious diseases, are at greater potential risk of severe complications from COVID-19. Moreover, preliminary results of an IAPAC survey of HIV-treating clinicians indicate disruptions in prevention, care, treatment, and psychosocial services being delivered to people living with and at-risk for HIV. The Fast-Track Cities initiative, through IAPAC, is coordinating a series of educational webinars to educate clinicians and allied healthcare providers in Fast-Track Cities about evidence-based recommendations for managing COVID-19 for people living with HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and/or viral hepatitis.
Following the postponement of its planned Adherence 2020 conference in June 2020 due to COVID-19-related restrictive measures, IAPAC will also host a virtual Adherence 2020 pre-conference from 12-5 pm ET, May 6, 2020, focused on the “Continuity of HIV Care in the Presence of COVID-19.” Moderated by Dr. Zuniga with welcome remarks by Dr. Shannon Hader, Deputy Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the pre-conference will feature from clinician and community experts. To register online or for more information about the pre-conference, visit: https://www.iapac.org/conferences/adherence-2020-virtual-pre-conference/
Additionally, IAPAC is maintaining a repository of regularly updated evidence-based COVID-19 resources and recommendations, which can be accessed on the IAPAC website at: https://www.iapac.org/hiv-covid-19/
Fast-Track City Dashboards
Since 2015, IAPAC has developed city dashboards through support from multiple grantors, including the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, MAC AIDS Fund, Merck & Co., President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), US Agency for International Development (USAID), and ViiV Healthcare.
About Fast-Track Cities
Fast-Track Cities is a network of more than 300 cities and municipalities striving to their end urban HIV, TB, and viral hepatitis epidemics by 2030.
About the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care
With more than 30,000 members globally, IAPAC is the largest association of clinicians and allied health professionals working to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. IAPAC is also a core technical partner of the Fast-Track Cities initiative and serves as the Secretariat for the Fast-Track Cities Institute.
