Lisbon to Host Fast-Track Cities 2020 Conference

Conference’s High-Level Panel to Feature Evidence-Based Approaches to Drug Policy

LISBON, Portugal (January 17, 2020) – The Camara Municipal de Lisboa and the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC) hosted a press announcement and a community-led panel discussion today about the need for Fast-Track Cities to pursue evidence-based approaches to drug policy to curb new HIV infections while respecting the human rights of people who use drugs.

The 2019 UNAIDS Drugs Report acknowledged that while new HIV infections among adults worldwide declined by 14% between 2011 and 2017, there has been no decrease in the annual number of new HIV infections among people who inject drugs. Yet, between 2008 and 2017, there was a 93% decrease in HIV cases among people who inject drugs in Portugal, according to the Portuguese National AIDS Agency, a reduction to which new harm reduction policies contributed.

The announcement and panel discussion took place during a City Hall event where Lisbon Mayor Fernando Medina announced his city would play host later this year to local stakeholders from more than 300 cities and municipalities accelerating the end of their urban HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and viral hepatitis epidemics by 2030. The Fast-Track Cities 2020 conference, taking place September 7-10, 2020, is expected to convene more than 1,000 delegates from 300+ current and numerous prospective Fast-Track Cities in every region of the world.

In announcing the Fast-Track Cities 2020 conference, Mayor Medina also said the focus of the conference’s high-level panel will be on drug policies and harm reduction. The high-level panel will consist of Mayors and other elected officials, as well as public health leaders. The focus of the Fast-Track Cities 2019 conference’s high-level panel in London was on health inequalities, with Mayor Sadiq Khan chairing the panel. Lisbon’s Mayor Medina will do likewise at the Fast-Track Cities 2020 conference.

“Drug policies need to be focused on reducing harm among people who use drugs, instead of furthering the stigma associated with the criminalization of drug use. The expansion of harm reduction services in Lisbon and in Portugal has made a significant impact in reducing the numbers of new HIV cases in people who inject drugs,” said Mayor Medina. “We are proud to highlight Lisbon’s experience in transforming public health at the Fast-Track Cities 2020 conference.”

In his welcome remarks at today’s event, IAPAC President/CEO Dr. José M. Zuniga welcomed Mayor Medina’s wish to focus attention on rights-based drug policies and harm reduction interventions for people who use drugs, adding that it is at the city and municipal levels where the most efficient collaboration takes place between civic authorities, health services, and communities of people who use drugs.

“Where sound drug policies and harm reduction services are in place, such as in Portugal, we have seen significant decreases in HIV infections among people who inject drugs and their partners,” said IAPAC President/CEO Dr. José M. Zuniga. “Harm reduction shows its best results when it is planned at municipal and national levels and where local stakeholders have a degree of autonomy in terms of organizing services that best serve the needs of their key populations,” Dr. Zuniga explained.

A Portugal-focused panel discussion capped off today’s Fast-Track Cities event, covering issues ranging from budgeting for harm reduction to engaging communities of people who use drugs. The panelists included Isabel Aldir, Director of Portugal’s National Program for HIV/ AIDS and Viral Hepatitis; Luís Mendão, President of the Grupo de Ativistas em Tratamentos (GAT); Andreia Pinto Ferreira, General Director of Ser+; Elsa Belo, Technical Director, Programa de Substituição em Baixo Limiar de Exigência at Ares do Pinhal; and João Goulão, General Director of the Intervention on Addictive Behaviors and Dependencies (SICAD) at the Portuguese Ministry of Health.

The Fast-Track Cities 2020 conference is organized by IAPAC, UNAIDS, and other partners. For more information, please visit: https://www.iapac.org/conferences/fast-track-cities-2019/fast-track-cities-2020/

Fast-Track Cities Welcomes New Communities on World AIDS Day 2019

The International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC) welcomed several new cities and municipalities to the Fast-Track Cities network to commemorate World AIDS Day 2019. The initiative is marking its fifth anniversary since the Paris Declaration on Fast-Track Cities was originally signed by 26 municipalities on World AIDS Day 2014 in Paris. Since then the Fast-Track Cities network has grown to more than 300 municipalities that are working in solidarity to end urban HIV, tuberculosis, and viral hepatitis epidemics by 2030.

North America

IAPAC President/CEO Dr. José M. Zuniga spoke at a signing ceremony on World AIDS Day 2019 in which both the City of St. Louis and Saint Louis County joined the Fast-Track Cities initiative. St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson said the initiative “truly furthers the overall vision of the city’s health department, which is to create an equitable city achieving optimal health for all.”

 

“We proudly welcome the City and County of St. Louis to the Fast-Track Cities initiative on the occasion of World AIDS Day 2019,” said Dr. Zuniga. “St. Louis will benefit from the collective best practices and lessons learned from a network of more than 300 Fast-Track Cities and other municipalities that are working in solidarity to end urban HIV epidemics by 2030. As important, the Fast-Track Cities network’s emphasis on community-led HIV responses aligns well with the US federal government’s prioritization of 48 counties, two territories, and seven states, including Missouri.”

 

 

IAPAC’s Vice President and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Chris Duncombe delivered remarks at a “Fast-Track Nevada” signing ceremony in Las Vegas also on World AIDS Day 2019 to welcome Clark County, Nevada, and the cities of Boulder, Henderson, and Las Vegas to the Fast-Track Cities initiative. By reaching a critical mass of cities across the state, Nevada was recognized as the first “Fast-Track State” in the United States. Clark County, Nevada, is one of the 48 counties that are being targeted by the Trump administration’s nationwide plan to end the HIV epidemic.

“The Fast-Track Nevada initiative represents the dedication and support of our local, state, federal, and global partners who are committed to providing comprehensive resources in our community and stopping the epidemic,” said Dr. Fermin Leguen, Acting Chief Health Officer, Southern Nevada Health District.

 

Texas became America’s second “Fast-Track State” on December 4, 2019, as civic leaders, health officials, and community advocates gathered to add Harris County and the City of Houston to the Fast-Track Cities network. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo signed the Paris Declaration alongside IAPAC’s President/CEO, Dr. Zuniga. The ceremony coincided with the final day of the Biomedical HIV Prevention Summit in Houston.

“Ending HIV is not only a lifesaving endeavor, it is also an economically sound approach that saves millions of dollars in health care costs,” said Mayor Turner. “I’m proud to add Houston as a Fast Track City, complementing the quality work of the Houston Health Department in ending the HIV epidemic.”

“Today, we are proudly reaffirming our commitment to helping those living with HIV/AIDS and to ending the epidemic,” said Judge Hidalgo. “We will continue to provide the best quality care for our HIV/AIDS community and work to stop new transmissions from occurring, but we know there is so much more to be done.”

 

Dallas (Dallas County), Austin (Travis County), and San Antonio (Bexar County), Texas are also members of the Fast-Track Cities network. The four Texas counties are among the 48 counties that are being targeted in the federal government’s plan to end the HIV epidemic by 2030.

 

Europe

Palermo became Italy’s third Fast-Track City on November 24, 2019, with the signature of Mayor Leoluca Orlando. Upon signing the Paris Declaration, Mayor Orland emphasized that “in Palermo we want to make everyone visible, because those who are invisible have no rights.” The event was attended by Rosaria Iardino, an Italian journalist and advocate for people living with HIV who is President of Fondazione The Bridge and coordinates the work of Fast-Track Cities in Milan. IAPAC was represented by Dr. Antonella d’Arminio Monforte who is a professor at the University of Milan.

 

The City of Florence, Italy, joined the Fast-Track Cities network on November 30, 2019. Mayor Dario Nardella emphasized the importance of HIV prevention as he signed the Paris Declaration. IAPAC was represented by our Vice President for Strategic Partnerships Bertrand Audoin.

 

Several municipalities have recently joined Fast-Track Cities from the United Kingdom. The health minister for Wales, Vaughan Gething, attended a ceremony alongside IAPAC’s Vice President for Strategic Partnerships, Mr. Audoin and other local officials and advocates to welcome Cardiff to the Fast-Track Cities network on November 28, 2019.

 

The City of Bristol, England joined the initiative two days later on November 30, 2019.

“By adopting the Fast Track Cities Initiative’s principles in Bristol and pioneering a ‘One City’ approach to tackle health inequalities, I am confident that we can rise to this challenge and end new HIV infections by 2030,” said Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees.

 

Strasbourg Mayor Roland Ries signed the Paris Declaration on November 25, 2019, joining six other Fast-Track Cities in France that are working together to reverse their local HIV epidemics. The ceremony coincided with a public awareness campaign to promote HIV testing.

 

Our Vice President for Strategic Partnerships, Mr. Audoin represented IAPAC at a signing ceremony in Prague, Czech Republic, on December 5, 2019, that was also attended by Mayor Zdeněk Hřib and health councilor Milena John. The incidence of HIV infections has been rising in the Czech Republic in recent years. Since monitoring began in 1985, roughly one out of two new infections has occurred in the capital city of Prague.

“I am glad that Prague will join other world capitals in the fight against AIDS. With Fast-Track Cities, we can say: together we are stronger, together we are louder, together we can change the world. The health of our citizens is a priority for us and we must not underestimate it,” said Mayor Hřib.

 

The cities of Podgorica, Bijelo Poljé, and Bar, Montenegro joined the Fast-Track Cities initiative on December 2, 2019. Pordgorica Mayor Ivan Vuković signed the Paris Declaration alongside Dušan Raičević, the Mayor of Bar, and Petar Smolović, the Mayor of Bijelo Poljé. Mayor Vuković said that stigma remains a significant challenge in Montenegro.

“We have decided not to turn a blind eye to the problem, but to tackle it, and in this way give an institutional response in accordance with what the goals and principles of action are at the global level,” said Vuković, who also pledged to prioritize HIV prevention and education for young people.

 

Asia

The cities of Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and Battambang, Cambodia joined the Fast-Track Cities initiative on December 4, 2019, along with the province of Banteay Meanchey. According to a new report by UNAIDS, there were 880 new HIV infections in Cambodia in 2018, reflecting a 95% decrease from 16,500 new infections at the peak of the local epidemic in 1997.

 

 

 

IAPAC Launches ViiV Healthcare-Funded FTC Data Dashboards

‘Data-Informed, Equity-Based HIV Responses are at the Heart of Ending Urban HIV Epidemics’

Washington, DC, USA (December 1, 2019) – The International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC) today launched data dashboards visualizing baseline data for three Fast-Track Cities that are striving to attain and surpass the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) 90-90-90 targets. Among the US municipalities whose ViiV Healthcare-funded dashboards were launched today are Columbia, SC; Fulton County (Atlanta), GA; and Washington, DC.

The 90-90-90 targets translate into 90% of people living with HIV (PLHIV) knowing their status, 90% of PLHIV who know their status accessing antiretroviral therapy (ART), and 90% of PLHIV on ART achieving viral suppression. The Paris Declaration on Fast-Track Cities calls for attaining and surpassing the 90-90-90 targets, as well as addressing HIV-related stigma, on a trajectory towards getting to zero new HIV infections, zero AIDS-related deaths, and zero stigma.

Fast-Track City (2018 data)	Know Status	On ART	Virally Suppressed
Columbia, SC (USA)	84%	N/A*	90%
Fulton County (Atlanta), GA (USA)	84%	87%	82%
Washington, DC (USA)	87%	78%	85%

*N/A: Data are not currently generated

“Fast-Track Cities can only accelerate their HIV responses to achieve the 90-90-90 targets if they know their local epidemics – notably the gaps,” said IAPAC President/CEO Dr. José M. Zuniga. “That is why data-driven, equity-based HIV responses are at the heart of ending urban HIV epidemics by 2030.”

In addition to these three Fast-Track Cities, several more cities and municipalities are reporting new or updated 90-90-90 data on World AIDS Day 2019. These data are available at http://fast-trackcities.org.

About Fast-Track Cities

Fast-Track Cities is a global partnership between almost 300 cities and municipalities, the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), and the City of Paris that are collaborating to reach zero new HIV infections, zero AIDS-related deaths, and zero HIV-related stigma. The initiative was launched on World AIDS Day 2014 in Paris.

About the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC)

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.

 

 

 

 

 

Youth Against AIDS and IAPAC Announce Fast-Track Cities Partnership

WASHINGTON, DC (November 25, 2019) –  In the lead-up to World AIDS Day 2019, the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC) and Youth Against AIDS announced a partnership today to facilitate increased sexual health literacy and condom use, and decreased incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among youth across the Fast-Track Cities network.

“We cannot end the public health threat posed by HIV without fully engaging young people,” said IAPAC President/CEO Dr. José M. Zuniga. “We are proud to partner with Youth Against AIDS to enhance sexual health literacy, promote the use of condoms, and decrease the incidence of HIV and other STIs. We share a common commitment to the Sustainable Development Goal of ending the public health threat posed by HIV by 2030, and a mutual interest in responding to the needs of urban youth.”

By signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), IAPAC and Youth Against AIDS agreed to develop and disseminate sexual health literacy tools for people between the ages of 14 and 25, negotiate the introduction of condom distribution dispensers in Fast-Track Cities, and conduct research regarding HIV and sexual health literacy.

“In a world impacted by major technological and societal disruptions, we need to find new ways to face the HIV epidemic among young generations. Many regions of the world are lacking a dedicated youth strategy,” said Daniel Nagel, the CEO of Youth Against AIDS. “That’s why we are proud to partner with IAPAC to promote sexual health, condom use, and decrease HIV & STI new infections among young people in Fast-Track Cities around the world.”

About Youth Against AIDS

Youth against AIDS is a nonprofit organization of young people that promotes sexual health worldwide. Its goal is to empower young people to deal with their sexuality in a self-confident and responsible way. In this way they promote openness and mutual respect and contribute to the fact that sexually transmitted diseases no longer have a place in the young generation. In order to achieve their goals, they go new ways and use innovative formats. In this way, they reach their young target group at eye level and set new impulses that advance the debate on sexual health and the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases in Germany and worldwide.

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.

 

 

 

 

New Data Show Local HIV Epidemics Can End Decades Sooner Than Expected

Modeling Indicates Rapid Scale-Up of Antiretroviral Therapy Can Halt Urban HIV Epidemics

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM (September 9, 2019) — The International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC) reported modeling data today about the potential to accelerate the end of urban HIV epidemics through increased antiretroviral therapy (ART) coverage for people living with HIV. Sindhu Ravishankar, MPhil, IAPAC’s Senior Director of Technical Programs, also reported updated HIV diagnosis, ART coverage, and viral suppression data from 61 Fast-Track Cities during her presentation at the Fast-Track Cities 2019 conference. The conference is convening more than 750 delegates from around the world to address the public health threats posed by HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and viral hepatitis.

“Our modeling data for Lusaka and Nairobi show that with current levels of ART coverage, HIV incidence and mortality can be lowered to end their HIV epidemics but not by 2030 at the current rate of scale up,” said Ravishankar. “However, implementing aggressive ART scale-up, including annual testing for anyone at risk and immediate ART initiation, has the potential to end urban HIV epidemics many years sooner compared to business as usual, contributing to the global goal of ending the HIV epidemic as a public health threat by 2030.”

The ART modeling exercise led by Brian Williams, PhD, of the South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling & Analysis (SACEMA), focused on the high HIV burden cities of Lusaka and Nairobi. Ending a local HIV epidemic was defined as less than one new HIV infection and one AIDS-related death per 1,000 adults.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The modeling on Lusaka demonstrated that Zambia’s capital city could end its local HIV epidemic as early as 2020 with aggressive ART scale up. Since Lusaka is not currently projected to end its local HIV epidemic until 2050, the modeling data reveal that more rapid progress is possible by scaling up HIV treatment as prevention. Similarly, the modeling for Nairobi suggests ending that city’s epidemic in 2024 could be possible with aggressive ART scale-up, compared to 2050 if current ART levels are maintained.

“Mathematical models have a critical role to play in managing and controlling HIV,” said Williams. “Models allow us to capture the dynamic processes underlying epidemics, to set targets and to monitor progress. But modelling relies heavily on good routine monitoring and surveillance data to inform the models, guide the response, and confirm the outcomes. Many Fast-Track Cities now have such data systems in place and the models show that we can end HIV epidemics in cities, in some scenarios faster than we expect.”

Ravishankar’s presentation also included updated 90-90-90 data from 61 cities. Notably, 14 cities have surpassed the first 90 target (awareness of HIV status), 16 cities have surpassed the second 90 (ART initiation), and 23 cities have surpassed the third 90 (sustained viral suppression). Three cities have surpassed the 90-90-90 targets (Amsterdam, Brighton and Hove, Manchester) and one city, London, has surpassed 95-95-95.

Cities and municipalities that join the Fast-Track Cities network seek to have at least 90% of people living with HIV knowing their status, ensure that at least 90% of those who know they have HIV are on antiretroviral therapy, and to have 90% of those on ART become virally suppressed. Since World AIDS Day 2014, more than 300 municipalities have joined the Fast-Track Cities network. Today, Fast-Track Cities is part of a growing movement working to end urban HIV, TB, and viral hepatitis epidemics by 2030.

 

 

 

 

 

Global Leaders Unite To Tackle Health Inequalities 

Delegates from more than 300 Municipalities Join Global Fast-Track Cities Conference on Urban HIV, Tuberculosis, and Viral Hepatitis

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM (September 9, 2019) – London Mayor Sadiq Khan today welcomed city, municipal, and global leaders to Fast-Track Cities 2019, the inaugural conference of more than 300 cities and municipalities prioritizing their responses to urban HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and viral hepatitis. Speaking at the conference, Mayor Khan highlighted the problem of health inequalities across the world, as well as the need to end the stigma still associated with HIV. He also reiterated the bold ambition for London to achieve the target of no new HIV infections, deaths, and stigma by 2030.

“I’m honoured that city and health leaders from all around the world are uniting today in London. The first international gathering of Fast-Track Cities will be a truly historic event in our fight against HIV and health inequalities,” said Mayor Khan. “I’m also proud of the work London is doing to tackle HIV and inequality, and am pleased that we will be able to share our knowledge and experience with others. But despite our progress, there is still much more to be done as too many people continue to catch the virus. To truly end all new cases of HIV in London, it’s high time the Government made PrEP available via the NHS for all those who need it. No ifs, no buts, and no more pilots – we know it works, it stops the spread of infection and saves money in the long run.”

More than half of the world’s population currently lives in urban centers where the risk of contracting HIV, TB, and hepatitis is significantly higher due to urban dynamics such as social behavior, migration, unemployment, and social and economic inequalities. However, cities and municipalities also have inherent advantages and offer important opportunities to accelerate health responses and take transformative action to ensure that equitable access to health services is available to everyone.

“We have seen that for an effective response to HIV it is critical to remove inequalities, power imbalances, marginalization, and discrimination,” said Gunilla Carlsson, Executive Director a.i., of UNAIDS, one of four core partners of the Fast-Track Cities initiative. “Cities must use their advantages to leverage innovation, create social transformation, and build equitable societies that are inclusive, responsive, resilient, and sustainable,” she added.

Organized by the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC), in collaboration with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and other partners, the Fast-Track Cities 2019 conference is being held from September 9-11, 2019, at the Barbican Centre. The conference’s aim is to highlight successes achieved across the Fast-Track Cities network, address cross-cutting challenges faced by local stakeholders, and share best practices in accelerating urban AIDS responses, inclusive of co-infectious diseases such as TB and viral hepatitis. The conference features plenary sessions, panel discussions, and abstract presentations by representatives from more than  300 Fast-Track Cities.

“Health inequalities are preventing people living with HIV, TB, and viral hepatitis, notably from disenfranchised and minority ethnic communities, from accessing the services they need to live longer, healthier lives,” said Dr. José M. Zuniga, President/CEO of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC), one of the core partners of the Fast-Track Cities initiative and the conference’s organizer. “We are convening in London because the city’s high level of political commitment, public health leadership, support from clinical and service providers, and engagement with affected communities have enabled the city to surpass the Fast-Track Cities’ programmatic HIV targets. We are here to shine a light on London’s efforts to reduce and eliminate health inequalities that contravene the principles of social justice.”

When London joined the Fast-Track Cities initiative in January 2018, the city had already met the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets, which are defined as 90% of people living with HIV knowing their status, 90% of people who know their status accessing HIV treatment, and 90% of people accessing HIV treatment achieving viral suppression. FTC London, a pan-city group of stakeholders steering the city’s Fast-Track Cities engagement, has made outreach to the black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) community a priority in their “London Getting to Zero” strategy.

The “High-Level Panel on Health Inequalities,” which was the official opening of the Fast-Track Cities 2019 conference, included the following elected officials:

• Kostas Bakoyannis (Mayor, Athens, Greece)
• Josefina Belmonte (Mayor, Quezon City, Philippines)
• Winston Ennis (Deputy Mayor, Kingston, Jamaica)
• Simone Kukenheim (Deputy Mayor, Amsterdam, Netherlands)
• Fernando Medina (Mayor, Lisbon, Portugal)
• Svante Myrick (Mayor, Ithaca, NY, USA)
• Robb Pitts (Chairman, Fulton County, Atlanta, GA, USA)
• Mykola Povoroznyk, (First Deputy Mayor, Kyiv, Ukraine)
• Gennadiy Trukhanov (Mayor, Odessa, Ukraine)

In addition to IAPAC’s Dr. Zuniga, and UNAIDS’ Ms. Carlsson, several global public health leaders also participated in the “High Level Panel on Health Inequalities,” including:

• Amb. Deborah L. Birx (US Global AIDS Coordinator, PEPFAR)
• Cary James (CEO, World Hepatitis Alliance)
• Suvanand Sahu (Deputy Executive Director, Stop TB Partnership)
• Maimunah Mohd Sharif (Executive Director, UN-Habitat)
• Trevor Stratton (Board Member, GNP+)
• Marijke Wijnroks (Chief of Staff, Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria)

The panel was moderated by UK-based broadcaster and former BBC journalist Henry Bonsu.

 

 

 

 

World Hepatitis Alliance and IAPAC Announce Fast-Track Cities Partnership

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM (September 9, 2019) – The World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA) and the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC) announced a new partnership today on the first day of the Fast-Track Cities 2019 conference in London. The conference is convening more than 750 delegates from a network of more than 300 Fast-Track Cities striving to end urban HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and viral hepatitis (HBV and HCV) epidemics.

“Our partnership with the World Hepatitis Alliance will support Fast-Track Cities in addressing the public health threat posed by HBV and HCV,” said IAPAC President/CEO Dr. José M. Zuniga. “In the era of the health-related Sustainable Development Goals, we have an obligation to work with our colleagues across health conditions. We are honored to formally join with the World Hepatitis Alliance to reach our mutual goal of ending hepatitis-related deaths among people living with HIV and, ultimately, achieving HBV and HCV elimination.”

World Hepatitis Alliance CEO Cary James signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) alongside IAPAC’s Dr. Zuniga during a ceremony at the Fast-Track Cities 2019 conference today at the Barbican Centre in London. The conference, which features panels and presentations from researchers, community advocates, and elected officials, will run through to Wednesday, September 11, 2019.

“We are excited to join with the Fast-Track Cities initiative to accelerate and strengthen cities’ responses to viral hepatitis, a disease which claims 1.4 million lives each year,” said World Hepatitis Alliance CEO Cary James. “We have the tools needed to eliminate viral hepatitis, but a key challenge is finding the 290 million people who are unaware that they are living with viral hepatitis. Up-scaling diagnoses will be the cornerstone to cities’ hepatitis responses. If we find the missing millions and link them to treatment, we can eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030.”

The MOU affirms a commitment between IAPAC and the World Hepatitis Alliance to joint advocacy, awareness-raising, capacity-building, and other activities in support of the goal of eliminating HBV and HCV by 2030.

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About the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC)

IAPAC is the largest association of clinicians and allied health professionals working to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. For more information about IAPAC, please visit: https://www.iapac.org/

 

About Fast-Track Cities

Fast-Track Cities is a global partnership between almost 300 cities and municipalities, IAPAC, UNAIDS, UN-Habitat, and the City of Paris that are collaborating to end the epidemics of HIV, TB, and viral hepatitis in urban settings by 2030. For more information please visit: https://www.iapac.org/fast-track-cities/about-fast-track/

 

About the World Hepatitis Alliance

Patient-led and patient-driven, the World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA) represents the 325 million people living with viral hepatitis worldwide as well as over 280 member organizations in 91 countries. WHA amplifies patient voices in global health; builds the capacity of our members to advocate and deliver services; increases awareness of viral hepatitis through integrated campaigns; and works with partners to develop and implement comprehensive hepatitis strategies in countries around the world. Through increased screening, accessible treatment, wider awareness, targeted prevention, patient-centered care and support, WHA’s ultimate goal is the elimination of viral hepatitis by 2030. For more information please visit www.worldhepatitisalliance.org