High Impact HIV Prevention and Surveillance Programs for Health Departments - Project Abstract Summary In West Virginia, there were 136 individuals newly diagnosed with HIV in 2020. Although the rate of new HIV diagnoses decreased nationally between 2018 and 2020 (13.6 to 10.9), the rate in West Virginia increased significantly during that same time from 5.6 in 2018 to 9.1 in 2020. The number of people diagnosed with HIV in West Virginia increased overall between 2016- 2020 by 103%, and nearly tripled for females (292%). West Virginia is currently responding to four outbreaks/clusters throughout the state, three associated with injection drug use and one in the men who have sex with men population. The purpose of this application is to obtain funding for the Division of STD, HIV, Hepatitis, and Tuberculosis (DSHHT) of the West Virginia Department of Health to provide a comprehensive high impact HIV prevention and surveillance program. The strategies proposed will increase individual knowledge of HIV status, prevent new HIV infections, reduce transmission from persons living with HIV, improve health outcomes for persons living with HIV infection, eliminate perinatal transmission, strengthen surveillance to enhance response capacity, and employ data-to-care activities to support sustained viral suppression. Strategies will be implemented by using quality, timely, and complete surveillance and program data to guide HIV prevention and response efforts. The DSHHT will continue to expand partnerships with healthcare providers, local health departments, and community-based organizations in order to reach the National HIV/AIDS Strategy goals of preventing new HIV infections, improving HIV-related health outcomes for people with HIV, reducing HIV-related disparities and health inequities, and achieving integrated efforts that address the HIV epidemic.
