THIS WEEK, WATCH WASHINGTON JOURNAL'S SPECIAL HOLIDAY AUTHORS WEEK SERIES FEATURING LIVE SEGMENTS WITH A NEW WRITER. DAVID PEPPER DISCUSSES HIS BOOK "SAVING DEMOCRACY: A USER'S MANUAL FOR EVERY AMERICAN." WATCH WASHINGTON JOURNAL LIVE TUESDAY MORNING WITH OUR SPECIAL HOLIDAY AUTHORS WEEK SERIES. ...

A NUMBER OF POLICY ADVOCATES DISCUSSED THE INTERSECTION OF HIV-AIDS AND RACE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MINORITY AIDS INITIATIVE DURING JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY'S WORLD AIDS DAY CONFERENCE IN WASHINGTON, D.C. IT WAS SPEARHEADED BY CONGRESSWOMAN MAXINE WATERS AND THE CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS IN 1998. ...

GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE, AND WELCOME TO THE JOHNS HOPKINS BLOOMBERG CENTER. I'M THE VICE PROVOST OF FACULTY DIVERSITY AND A PROFESSOR AT THE BLOOMBERG SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH. I'M ABSOLUTELY EXCITED ABOUT THE TIME WE WILL SPEND TOGETHER TODAY. THIS IS THE FIRST OF A SERIES OF EVENTS WE WILL HAVE FOR THE HEALTH OPPORTUNITIES FOR POLICY EQUITY OR WHAT WE CALL THE HOPE CHALLENGE. WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT TODAY'S -- EXCUSE ME -- WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT TODAY'S PANEL THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE AND I WANT TO FIRST START OFF BY SAYING WE APPRECIATE THE GENEROUS SUPPORT FROM JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY AND I ALSO WANT TO START OUT BY APPRECIATING ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE WORKED BEHIND THE SCENES TO BRING US WHERE WE ARE TODAY. WE WILL START THIS MORNING WITH A WELCOME FROM THE LEADERS OF THE TWO OF THE FOUR NAMED PARTNERS OF THE EVENTS. OUR PARTNERS ARE THE CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS FOUNDATION, THE CONGRESSIONAL HISPANIC CAUCUS INSTITUTE. FIRST UP, WE WILL HEAR FROM MY FRIEND WHO'S A PROFESSOR AT THE BLOOMBERG SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND HE DIRECTS THE HOPKINS CENTER FOR HEALTH DISPARITIES SOLUTIONS. DR. GASKIN IS A HEALTH ECONOMIST WHO ADDRESSES PROGRAMS THAT REDUCE HEALTH DISPARITIES. HE WILL THEN BE FOLLOWED BY THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF A NONPROFIT THAT SEEKS TO NORMALIZE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT RACE IN THE HIV MOVEMENT WHILE FIGHTING FOR HEALTH EQUITY AND RACIAL JUSTICE IN AMERICA. FOUNDED IN 1987, IT IS WORKING TO BEND THE CURVE OF NEW HIV DIAGNOSES WHILE ENSURING THOSE WHO ARE LIVING WITH HIV RECEIVE THE ONGOING CARE THEY NEED. AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, PAUL WORKS WITH HIS BOARD AND STAFF TO SET THE STRATEGIC DIRECTION AND OVERSEAS THE TRAINING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR THE PROGRAM. ADDITIONALLY, HE DEVELOPS MANY HIGH-PROFILE MEETINGS INCLUDING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS ON AIDS, THE LARGEST ANNUAL AIDS-RELATED GATHERING IN THE COUNTRY. LET'S GIVE A WARM ROUND OF APPLAUSE. [APPLAUSE] ...

SO, THANK YOU FOR THAT VERY KIND INTRODUCTION. GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. WELCOME TO A GATHERING THAT IS ALL ABOUT MAKING A DIFFERENCE. I COULD NOT BE MORE THRILLED TO CALL THIS OUR FIRST HOPE CHALLENGE WITH YOU AND THEN ANOTHER'S VERY SPECIAL DAY, WHICH IS WORLD AIDS DAY. TODAY, WE ARE GOING TO BE DIVING INTO A TOPIC THAT IS NOT JUST RELEVANT, BUT ALSO TIMELY. HIV AND THE POLITICS OF RACE, THE MINORITY AIDS INITIATIVE AT 25. THIS GATHERING IS NOT JUST PRESENTATIONS AND STIMULATING CONVERSATION, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY IT IS A CALL TO ACTION. SO FASTEN YOUR SEATBELTS, BECAUSE WE ARE EMBARKING ON A JOURNEY TO REALLY TRY TO CHANGE LIVES. AT THE HEART OF THE HOPE CHALLENGE MISSION IS A CLEAR AND COMPELLING DESIRE AND NEED TO CREATE A BRIGHTER AND HEALTHIER AND MORE EQUITABLE FUTURE FOR ALL. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IMPROVING NATIONAL PROSPERITY, CUTTING DOWN HEALTH CARE COSTS, ENSURING THAT EVERYONE ENJOYS GOOD HEALTH AND THRIVING COMMUNITY. HOW? BY LEVERAGING THE POWER OF PUBLIC POLICY TO ELIMINATE THOSE GLARING RACIAL AND ETHNIC HEALTH DISPARITIES THAT SHOULD NOT EXIST IN OUR SOCIETY. LET ME BE PLAIN, WE HAVE A PROBLEM ON OUR HANDS. TOO MANY PEOPLE SUFFER FROM PREVENTABLE HEALTH CONDITIONS. THIS IS NOT JUST A NATIONAL HEALTH CRISIS, IT IS A NATIONAL ECONOMIC CRISIS. IT IS LITERALLY DRAGGING DOWN OUR NATION'S STANDARD OF LIVING. PREVENTABLE HEALTH CONDITIONS ARE ROBBING US OF PRECIOUS YEARS , DAMPENING OUR PRODUCTIVITY, AND ADDING UNNECESSARY AND EXCESSIVE HEALTH CARE COSTS. UNFORTUNATELY, THE BRUNT OF THIS BURDEN FALLS DISPROPORTIONATELY ON OUR FELLOW CITIZENS WHO IDENTIFIES AFRICAN-AMERICAN, HISPANIC, NATIVE AMERICAN, ALASKAN NATIVE, ASIAN AMERICANS, PACIFIC ISLANDERS, AND THE LGBTQIA PLUS COMMUNITY. HOWEVER, THERE IS GOOD NEWS. WE ARE NOT JUST HERE TO LAMENT THE PROBLEMS, WE ARE HERE TO TALK ABOUT SOLUTIONS. THIS IS WHY THE JOHNS HOPKINS CENTER ALONG WITH OUR PARTNERS, THE NATIONAL MINORITY AIDS COUNCIL, THE CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS FOUNDATION, THE CONGRESSIONAL HISPANIC CAUCUS INSTITUTE HAS CONVENED THIS GATHERING TODAY. I WANT TO THANK THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY AWARDS PROGRAM AND THE PROFESSORSHIP FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF THE HOPE CHALLENGE BREAKFAST FOR HIM HERE AT THE JOHNS HOPKINS BLOOMBERG UNIVERSITY -- JOHNS HOPKINS BLOOMBERG CENTER. OUR GOAL IS TO SHINE A SPOTLIGHT ON THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MINORITY AIDS INITIATIVE, A POLICY INTERVENTION THAT WAS WAY AHEAD OF ITS TIME THANKS TO CONGRESSWOMAN MAXINE WATERS WHO CHAMPIONED IT INTO EXISTENCE IN 1998. A HEALTH EQUITY POLICY BEFORE THE TERM HEALTH EQUITY WAS INVOKED. THE MINORITY AIDS INITIATIVE WAS THOUGHT TO ADDRESS HIV DISPARITIES IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. TODAY, WE ARE GOING TO DISSECT ITS IMPACT AND FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN SUPERCHARGE IT AND OTHER POLICIES SO WE CAN FINALLY END HIV DISPARITIES. BUT THAT IS NOT ALL. WE HAVE SOMETHING EXTRA SPECIAL IN STORE FOR YOU. WE HAVE CNN COMMENTATOR AND POLITICAL INSIDER JAMAAL SIMMONS WHO WILL LEAD A FIRESIDE CHAT WITH SOME OF OUR NATIONS LEGAL WIZARDS. THE CHAP WILL DIVE HEADFIRST INTO THE ANTI-WOKE MOVEMENT, WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT, AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR OUR MISSION. WE WILL BE UNPACKING THE SUPREME COURT'S RECENT DECISIONS ON AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AND OTHER LEGAL MANEUVERS THAT SEEK TO BLOCK INTERVENTIONS AIMED AT CLOSING THOSE STUBBORN GAPS IN HEALTH, WEALTH, AND EDUCATION. THE BEST PART, WE ARE GOING TO LIFT UP POTENTIAL POLICY SOLUTIONS THAT MAY SAFEGUARD THE FUTURE OF THESE CRITICAL HEALTH EQUITY INTERVENTIONS. THIS IS ABOUT HEALTH EQUITY. I'M REMINDED OF A POEM BY LANGSTON HUGHES. I TOO SING AMERICA. I AM THE DARKER BROTHER. THEY SEND ME TO EAT IN THE KITCHEN WHEN COMPANY COMES. BUT I LAUGH AND EAT WELL AND GROW STRONG. TOMORROW, I WILL BE AT THE TABLE WHEN COMPANY COMES. NOBODY WILL DARE SAY TO ME, EAT IN THE KITCHEN. THEN BESIDES THEY WILL SEE HOW BEAUTIFUL I AM AND BE ASHAMED. I TOO AM AMERICA. HEALTH EQUITY RECOGNIZES THAT ALL OF US HAVE A RIGHT TO SIT AT THE AMERICAN TABLE AND ENJOY LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. HEALTH EQUITY INSISTS OUR SOCIETY IMPLEMENT POLICIES AND PROGRAMS IN SUCH A WAY THAT EVERYONE HAS A LOW RISK OF CONTRACTING HIV AND IF SOME DO, THEY CAN LIVE LONG, HEALTHY, AND PRODUCTIVE LIVES. UNFORTUNATELY, OUR INITIAL EFFORTS TO HALT THE TRANSITION OF THE DISEASE AND CARE FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV WERE NOT BENEFITING EVERYONE. RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITY COMMUNITIES WERE BEING LEFT BEHIND. THE MINORITY AIDS INITIATIVE INTRODUCED THE CONCEPT OF HEALTH EQUITY IN THE NATION'S EFFORT TO ADDRESS HIV-AIDS PANDEMIC. ASKING OUR DECISION-MAKERS TO INCORPORATE HEALTH EQUITY IN THEIR POLICIES AND PROGRAMS IS MERELY ASKING THEM TO FOLLOW THE GOLDEN RULE. DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU. IN OTHER WORDS, TREAT NO ONE AS THOUGH THEY DESERVE LESS THAN YOU AND THOSE IN YOUR COMMUNITY. EVEN IF YOU PERCEIVE SOMEONE AS THE OTHER, MAKE SURE YOUR POLICIES AND PROGRAMS ARE AS EFFECTIVE FOR THEM AS THEY ARE FOR YOU. THE GOLDEN RULE STANDARD IN OUR POLICY AND PROGRAMS INSISTS THAT OUR POLICIES AND PROGRAMS BE EFFECTIVE FOR ALL OF US. SO, WELCOME YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS TO THE AMERICAN TABLE BECAUSE THEY TOO SING AMERICA. SIT BACK, BUT DON'T JUST SIT THERE, BE READY TO ENGAGE, SHARE YOUR BRILLIANCE, AND HELP US PAVE THE WAY TOWARD A SOCIETY WHERE EVERYONE REGARDLESS OF THEIR BACKGROUND GETS A FAIR SHOT AT BEING HEALTHY AND LIVING A PROSPEROUS LIFE. TODAY, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE AND TOGETHER WE WILL TURN THE TIDE ON DISPARITIES AND MAKE HEALTH EQUITY A REALITY. I'M NOW PLEASED TO TURN IT OVER TO OUR EVENT PARTNER, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL MINORITY AIDS COUNCIL. 2[APPLAUSE] ...

I AM -- IT IS WORLD AIDS DAY TODAY. I MOVED TO WASHINGTON IN 1985 TO FIGHT AN EPIDEMIC THAT WAS KILLING PEOPLE THAT I LOVED. IN 1989, I BECAME THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF A SMALL NATIONAL MINORITY ORGANIZATION AND I HAVE BEEN THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR 34 YEARS. [APPLAUSE] THAT'S PROBABLY OLDER THAN MANY OF THE STUDENTS SITTING IN THIS ROOM AND SO I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW HOW GLAD I AM TO SEE YOU ALL HERE. I WANT TO START BY THANKING HOPKINS UNIVERSITY. LOOK AT THIS BEAUTIFUL SPACE WE ARE IN. WHEN WE FIRST STARTED THIS WORK, ORGANIZATIONS LIKE MINE WOULD NEVER BE INVITED INTO BEAUTIFUL SPACES LIKE THIS, SO IT IS SUCH AN HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE TO BE STANDING IN FRONT OF YOU IN THIS EXTRAORDINARY SPACE. I WANT TO THANK DR. CUMMINGS FOR GETTING US HERE. LOOK AT THIS. LOOK AT THIS. LOOK AT THIS FOR A SECOND. ONE OF THESE TABLES IS NOT LIKE THE OTHER, FOLKS. AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I KNOW THAT, AND I KNOW THAT IT TAKES FRIENDS TO OPEN THE DOORS TO GET US INTO THESE ROOMS. BUT THESE ARE NOT ROOMS THAT WE OFTEN GET INVITED TO. AND SO I AM SO APPRECIATIVE AND I'M PARTICULARLY APPRECIATIVE OF THE CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS AND THE CONGRESSIONAL HISPANIC CAUCUS. LAST NIGHT WE DID AN EVENT ON THE HILL HONORING ALL OF THE WOMEN OF THE CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS, AND WE HAD 17 MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE AND A BRAND-NEW SENATOR FROM CALIFORNIA JOINING US, AND IT WAS ONE OF THOSE MOMENTS WHERE I HAD TO PINCH MYSELF BECAUSE I REMEMBER A TIME WHEN PEOPLE WOULD SHUT THEIR DOORS AND NOT MEET WITH US AND WE WENT ON THE HILL. I REMEMBER A TIME WHEN PEOPLE WERE AFRAID TO SHAKE MY HAND. I REMEMBER A TIME WHEN I WOULD SIT IN HOSPITAL BEDS SCREAMING AT GOD ABOUT HOW UNFAIR THIS IS. AND I SURE THAT STORY -- AND I SHARE THAT STORY WITH YOU BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT FEELS REALLY SIMILAR. I HAVE TO TELL YOU, THE WORLD IS CRAZY. THE WORLD IS CRAZY. AND WE ARE SITTING IN A MOMENT IN HISTORY THAT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO DEFINE BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO BELIEVE THAT SCIENCE, PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO BELIEVE THE TRUTH, PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT SOLUTIONS. THEY WANT TO TALK ABOUT STUPIDNESS THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE REALITY OF WHERE WE ARE IN THE WORLD. SO ALL THE STUDENTS HERE, I WORRY FOR YOU. I HAVE TO TELL YOU, YOUR FUTURE -- THAT'S WHY THE BLOOMBERG PROGRAM IS SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE YOU ARE THE FUTURE. YOU WILL HAVE TO TAKE THIS BATTLE TO THE PEOPLE. YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO FIGHT FOR EQUALITY AND JUSTICE, BECAUSE WE LIVE IN A WORLD RIGHT NOW WHERE THE MINORITY AIDS INITIATIVE WAS ALMOST DEFUNDED TWO WEEKS AGO AND THE HOUSE -- TWO WEEKS AGO IN THE HOUSE. AFTER 25 YEARS THERE WAS A VOTE AND THEY TOOK AWAY ALMOST ALL THE MONEY EXCEPT FOR THE LAST $25 MILLION. AND THEN THERE WAS A FINAL VOTE TO GET RID OF THAT. AND YOU KNOW WHAT? IN THIS CRAZY HOUSE, WE WON. WE HAD ENOUGH REPUBLICAN MEMBERS STAND WITH US -- [APPLAUSE] AND SAY THAT YOU ARE NOT GOING TO GET RID OF THE LAST OF THE MONEY. EVEN IN THIS, I WANTED TO BRING YOU SOME HOPE. I WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT YOUR VOICE MATTER, OUR ISSUES MATTER. WE ARE PART OF A GENERATION OF PEOPLE WHO ARE HAVING TO FIGHT THE LAST VESTIGES OF A SYSTEM THAT WAS SET UP NOT FOR US. WE ARE FIGHTING THE LAST VESTIGES OF THE WORLD THAT SAYS -- THERE ARE LITERALLY PEOPLE WHO SAY WE ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH BECAUSE OF THE COLOR OF OUR SKIN, JUST BECAUSE OF WHO WE LOVE, JUST BECAUSE OF THE WAY WE CHOOSE TO EXPRESS OUR GENDER. BUT HOPEFULLY WE WILL FIGHT AND WIN. AND SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF THIS EXTRAORDINARY MOMENT IN HISTORY. BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO KNOW, THERE IS AN OLD ACT UP SAYING THAT WE ARE GOING TO FIGHT LIKE HELL FOR THE LIVING. AND I NEED YOU ALL TO FIGHT LIKE HELL FOR THE LIVING, BECAUSE THERE HAS NEVER BEEN AS MUCH AS RISK AS THERE IS RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. [APPLAUSE] ...

THANK YOU FOR THOSE INSPIRING REMARKS. IT IS NOW TIME FOR OUR PANEL, "HIV AND THE POLITICS OF RACE," TO BEGIN. CAN THE PANELISTS COME TO THE STAGE AND TAKE THEIR SEATS? IT IS MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE THE MODERATOR, WHO IS A VISITING SCHOLAR AT JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY BLOOMBERG SCHOOL AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH POLICY AND MANAGEMENT. A WIDELY KNOWN COMMENTATOR, ACTIVIST, AND STRATEGIST, SHE IS THE FOUNDER AND CEO OF GLOBAL POWER SOLUTIONS, A SOCIAL CHANGE STRATEGY THAT SEEKS TO DRIVE SOCIETY TOWARDS INCLUSION. TAKE IT AWAY. ...

GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU, ROLAND, FOR THAT GREAT INTRODUCTION, AND THANK YOU TO PAUL FOR THOSE INSPIRING, INSPIRING REMARKS. AND I THANK EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU TODAY WHO IS JOINING US EITHER IN PERSON, ON C-SPAN, OR ON OUR LIVESTREAM FOR THIS VERY, VERY, VERY IMPORTANT WORLD AIDS DAY EVENT. WITH THAT, I SHOULD JUST SAY WE ARE HERE TO TALK ABOUT HIV AND THE POLITICS OF RACE. THE MINORITY AIDS INITIATIVE AT 25. I SHOULD TELL YOU THAT BACK IN 1998, WHEN I WAS JUST A VERY, VERY, VERY YOUNG PERSON -- I WON'T TELL YOU HOW OLD -- I CAME TO WASHINGTON TO FIND OUT WHAT THE CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS WAS DOING AROUND HIV. IN THE NEWS THERE WERE MORE BASICALLY PUBLISHED ACCOUNTS OF BOUT THE DISPARITY -- ABOUT THE DISPARITIES, THE RACIAL AND ETHNIC DISPARITIES, THAT WERE HAPPENING WITH HIV-AIDS IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. THERE HAD BEEN THERETOFORE NO FEDERAL POLICY RESPONSE THAT ADDRESS TO THE ISSUE OF THESE DISPARITIES. AND I ARRIVED JUST IN TIME TO WITNESS A PHENOMENAL OCCURRENCE. I ARRIVED JUST IN TIME TO SEE HIV-AIDS LEADERS, ACTIVISTS, ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERS, AND CERTAINLY ADMINISTRATORS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THEY WERE ALL OF COLOR, COME TO WASHINGTON TO APPEAL TO THE CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS TO DO SOMETHING. THEY WERE NOT RECEIVING THE MONEY NEEDED IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THE EPIDEMIC IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, AND THEY WERE VERY CONCERNED. BUT PRIOR TO THAT, THE RYAN WHITE CARE ACT HAD BEEN THE PRIMARY FUNDING MECHANISM FOR HIV FUNNY FOR COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY. --HIV COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY. THEY APPEAL TO THE CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS TO BASICALLY DO SOMETHING BY CREATING A FUNDING STREAM THAT WENT DIRECTLY TO COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS LED BY PEOPLE OF COLOR WHO WERE WORKING IN AND SERVING PEOPLE OF COLOR. THE CHAIR OF THE CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS AT THAT TIME, CONGRESSWOMAN MAXINE WATERS. AND SHE CARRIED THAT BALL LIKE NOBODY'S BUSINESS. SHE LITERALLY CAUGHT THE BALL -- THEY TOSSED IT, SHE CAUGHT IT, AND SHE RAN WITH IT. AND SHE WAS ABLE TO CREATE THE MINORITY AIDS INITIATIVE. THE OTHER CAUCUSES, THE CONGRESSIONAL HISPANIC CAUCUS, CONGRESSIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN CAUCUS, CONGRESSIONAL ASIAN AMERICAN CAUCUS, ALL OF THESE CAUCUSES GOT ON BOARD TO SUPPORT THIS INITIATIVE. UNFORTUNATELY, I SHOULD JUST SAY THAT AROUND THE EARLY 2000S, THE ADMINISTRATION OF GEORGE W. BUSH DECIDED THAT THEY WOULD NO LONGER ADHERE TO THE GUIDANCE OF -- THAT THE MONEY IS GO DIRECTLY TO MINORITY-LED ORGANIZATIONS. THAT MEANING THAT ANY ORGANIZATION COULD GET THE MONEY'S. AND HERE WE ARE TODAY, FIVE YEARS LATER -- 25 YEARS LATER. HEALTH DISPARITIES ON HIV ARE HUGE AND GROWING, AND WE HAVE A PROBLEM, BUT WE MUST MUST MUST FIX IT AND MOVE FORWARD TO SAVE LIVES. WITH THAT, I'M DELIGHTED TO HAVE A WONDERFUL AND DISTINGUISHED PANEL OF LEADERS TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION TODAY, PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN IN THE TRENCHES FOR A VERY LONG TIME DOING THIS WORK LIKE YOU JUST WOULDN'T BELIEVE. AND SO WITH THAT MY VERY FIRST PERSON TO MY LEFT IS -- HEADS THE LATINO COMMISSION ON AIDS, AND HE IS JUST A WONDERFUL PERSON. I HAVE SEEN HIM AS AN ACTIVIST. HE IS BRILLIANT, HE IS PASSIONATE, AND HE CARES. HE COMES FROM THIS FROM A COMMUNITY-BASED PERSPECTIVE, HAVING WORKED WITH ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE FIELD FOR VERY LONG TIME. I WANT YOU TO SET THE CONTEXT FOR US. WHERE ARE WE RIGHT NOW, AND HOW DID WE GET HERE, AND WHAT HAVE BEEN THE CONDITIONS ON THE GROUND WITH REGARDS TO HIV-AIDS? DEAR ABOUT -- GUILLERMO? ...

THANK YOU, MAYA, FOR YOUR INTRODUCTION. IT IS IMPORTANT TO PAUSE. THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY RECOGNIZES WORLD AIDS DAY TODAY. WE NEED TO ALSO REMEMBER THE HUGE HUMAN COSTS, ALL THE LIVES THAT HAVE BEEN TAKEN FROM US FROM HIV. AND I TRULY BELIEVE THAT ANALYZING 25 YEARS LATER AND ANSWERING THE QUESTION OF MAIAYA, WE HAVE A PROBLEM, HUGE PROBLEM. IF YOU REVIEW THE LATEST DATA FROM THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL IN 2021, IT IS A CONSISTENT IMPACT AMONG BLACK, LATINOS,, ASIAN NATIVES -- ASIANS, NATIVES. ONE INFECTION FROM HIV ISN'T ENOUGH FOR ALL OF US. IT HAS TO BE FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVE SOUND THE ALARMS. BUT BLACK AND LATINOS, WE LATINOS USED TO BE THE MOST THIRD -- THE THIRD MOST IMPACTED AND WE ARE THE SECOND MOST IMPACTED. I ALWAYS TOLD PEOPLE THAT THE INTENTION AND THE AMAZING VISIONARY VISION OF THE LEADERSHIP LED BY CONGRESSWOMAN MAXINE WATERS THAT IS STILL THE VOICE OF THE VOICELESS REMIND US AND THE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO SHAPE RESOURCES FOR THOSE DEALING WITH HEALTH ISSUES AND HEALTH DISPARITIES AND HIV IN PARTICULAR IS WHAT REALLY HAS TO BE ANALYZED AND RECHECKED AT WILL, REMIND US OF HOW DIFFICULT IS THE MOMENT WE ARE LIVING RIGHT NOW. BUT I ALWAYS TOLD PEOPLE WHEN YOU LOOK HISTORICALLY IN THE U.S., ALL THESE SIGNPOSTS THAT REMIND ALL OF US OF THE OPENING BEAUTIFUL POINT TO BE AT THE TABLE. AND WE BELIEVE THAT IF YOU EMPOWER AND PROVIDE RESOURCES FOR COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS THAT AREN'T REFLECTING THOSE COMMUNITIES MOST IMPACTED, WE WILL BE ABLE TO SHAPE AND BRING A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE, COMMUNITY TRUST, THAT IS THE HIGHEST CURRENCY TO CONNECT AND TO ADDRESS A VERY COMPLEX ISSUE OF HIV. PEOPLE SAY TO ME, WHY WE DON'T HAVE A VACCINE, WHY WE DON'T HAVE A CURE. PEOPLE WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK FOR THOSE. BUT AS RIGHT NOW, OVER 30,000 NEW INFECTIONS, IT REMINDS US THAT WE CAN DO BETTER. AND ALSO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE 50 STATES, WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT THE TERRITORIES, ESPECIALLY PUERTO RICO AND THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS. I REMIND FOLKS, AND THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS, 20% MORE OR LESS OF IMMIGRANTS AND MIGRANTS THAT GO AND WORK IN A DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES THAT ARE IN NOBODY'S RADAR IN TERMS OF DELIVERING AWARENESS AND SUPPORT SERVICES AND TESTING, THE KEY ELEMENTS TO IDENTIFY AND PREVENT THE SPREAD. MAYA, I REALLY WANT TO CHALLENGE ALL OF US, AND THE THING I THINK CAPTURE THEIR CALL TO ACTION FOR ALL OF US TO REALLY BRING BACK THE ORIGINAL INTENT OF THE 1998 MINORITY INITIATIVE TO PUT ONE PARTICULAR SET OF FUNDING DEDICATED TO THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT I REPRESENT THOSE MOST IMPACTED. ONE KEY ELEMENT THAT I ALWAYS REMIND FOLKS IS STRENGTHENING, ESPECIALLY THE INTERNAL INFRASTRUCTURE, BECAUSE I AM A BIG OPPONENT OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE BUT ALSO COMMUNITY -- BIG PROPONENT OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE BUT ALSO COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS. I THINK THAT IS CHALLENGE FOR A PANEL AND THE WHOLE PROGRAM TODAY. IQ, -- THANK YOU, MAYA. ...

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, GUILLERMO. SHE IS THE INTERIM DIRECTOR OF THE HIV AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE UNIT AT THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION IN ATLANTA. AND SO WE ARE DELIGHTED TO HAVE HER HERE NOT JUST AS THE HEAD OF THIS VERY IMPORTANT AGENCY SUBUNIT, BUT ALSO AS A JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY BLOOMBERG SCHOOL OF HEALTH GRADUATE. [APPLAUSE] THEY ARE EVERYWHERE. AND SO WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM AN INSIDERS PERSPECTIVE HOW THE CDC IS ACTUALLY USING THE MINORITY AIDS INITIATIVE DOLLARS AND ALSO WHAT PARTICULAR COMMUNITIES AND WHAT KIND OF INNOVATIVE TECHNIQUES AND APPROACHES ARE YOU USING TO ADDRESS THIS PARTICULARLY IN DISPROPORTIONALLY AFFECTED COMMUNITIES. ...

Y'ALL KNOW I'M FROM CDC, SO I HAVE TO HAVE A FEW SLIDES. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE WARM WELCOME. IT TRULY DOES FEEL LIKE A HOMECOMING. HOPKINS AND BALTIMORE SPECIFICALLY IS WHERE MY LOVE OF PUBLIC HEALTH, HIV, AND HEALTH DISPARITIES WAS FIRST NURTURED AND SUPPORTED. IT MEANS SO MUCH FOR ME TO BE HERE TODAY GET. AT CDC WE ARE FOCUSED ON CLOSING PREVENTABLE RACIAL AND ETHNIC HEALTH DISPARITIES. ANYTIME I TALK ABOUT DISPARITIES, I THINK IT IS SO CRITICAL THAT WE START WITH THE REASON WHY THE DISPARITIES EXIST . WE HAVE TO FRAME IT BEFORE WE EVEN START TO TALK ABOUT DISPARITIES. THESE DISPARITIES EXIST BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF SYSTEMIC FACTORS AND LONG-STANDING INEQUITIES STARTING WITH RACISM, STARTING WITH WHITE SUPREMACY, THE IMPACT OF HOMOPHOBIA, TRANSPHOBIA, STIGMA, RESIDENTIAL SEGREGATION, ECONOMIC MARGINALIZATION, MASS INCARCERATION, ALL CONTRIBUTE SIGNIFICANTLY TO WHAT WE ARE SEEING. INSTANCES ARE HIGHER AMONG SAME-GENDER-LOVING MEN, WOMEN, LIKE PEOPLE, AND TRANSGENDER. THE BIGGEST GAPS WE SEE ARE AMONG BLACK AND HISPANIC PEOPLE. THE MORE HIV OUTBREAKS ARE AMONG PEOPLE WHO INJECTED DRUGS, THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES HAS HIGHER RATES OF HIV THAN OTHER REGIONS COME VIRAL SUPPRESSION IS LOWER AMONG AMERICAN INDIANS, AFRICAN NATIVE, AND BLACK PEOPLE. THESE ARE SEVERE AND UNACCEPTABLE. LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING AT CDC WITH A SPECIFIC FOCUS ON BLACK CIS AND TRANSGENDER WOMEN AND SAME-GENDER-LOVING MEN COULD. PREP IS HIGHLY EFFECTIVE TO PREVENT HIV. 99% WHEN TAKEN AS PRESCRIBED. BUT DATA FROM 2022 SHOWS THAT WHILE MORE THAN 40% OF MALES WHO BENEFIT WERE PRESCRIBED, ONLY 50% OF EMAILS WERE -- OF FEMALES WORK HIM AND ONLY 13% OF BLACK PEOPLE WERE PRESCRIBED IT. LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT WE ARE DOING. FIRST, THE HIV TOGETHER CAMPAIGN, A NATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO END THE HIV EPIDEMIC. WE STARTED #SHESWELL, PREP FOR WOMEN CAN WHICH IS FOCUSED ON INCREASING AWARENESS ABOUT PREP FOR WOMEN AND ELIMINATING PREP DISPARITIES THAT WE SEE. THIS HASHTAG WAS CREATED FOR AND BY BLACK WOMEN TO ENSURE THAT BLACK WOMEN SEE THEMSELVES IN THE MESSAGING WHICH ADDS TO THE IMPACT. A PORTFOLIO INCLUDES TOGETHER TAKE ME HOME. IF YOU HAVE NOT HEARD ABOUT IT, PLEASE GOOGLE IT, "TOGETHER TAKE ME HOME." YOU CAN GET A FREE HIV SELF TEST KIT THAT IS DELIVERED TO YOUR HOME. WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IS THE FIRST EIGHT MONTHS OF THIS PROGRAM, OVER 300,000 HIV SELF-TEST KITS HAVE BEEN ORDERED. IN SEPTEMBER OF THIS YEAR WE LAUNCHED HER PREP, LOOKING TO INCREASE PREP AMONG BLACK WOMEN IN THE U.S. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY IS TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES AND INCREASE PREP USE AMONG BLACK WOMEN AND THEY ARE SEEKING CARE, IN PARTICULAR PRIMARY CARE, SEXUAL CARE, REPRODUCTIVE CARE CLINICS. AND THEN TRANSGENDER WOMEN, INVOLVING STRATEGIES FOR TRANSFORMATION, OR TWIST. THIS IS AN INTERVENTION WRITTEN FOR AND BY WOMEN OF TRANS EXPERIENCE WHICH AIMS TO INCREASE SEXUAL HEALTH KNOWLEDGE AND BUILD SELF-EFFICACY TO MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON PERSONAL VALUES AND GOALS. ANOTHER POPULATION DISPROPORTIONALLY AFFECTED BY HIV DUE TO THE LONG-STANDING INEQUITIES ARE BLACK AND LATINO SAME-GENDER-LOVING MEN. TO COMBAT THE DISPARITIES AT CDC, WE ARE FUNDING RESEARCH TO LOOK AT THE DRIVERS OF MEDICAL MISTRUST, IN PARTICULAR IN HISPANIC AND LATINO POPULATIONS, WITH SPECIAL ATTENTION TO SAME-GENDER-LOVING MEN. WE ARE FUNDING, AS GUILLERMO ELOQUENTLY SAID, COMMUNITY-BA SED ORGANIZATIONS DIRECTLY SERVING SAME-GENDER-LOVING MEN OF COLOR AND YOUNG TRANSGENDER PEOPLE OF COLOR. AND FINALLY, TAKE ME HOME. MORE THAN 60% OF THE HIV SELF-TEST KITS HAVE BEEN ORDERED BY SAME-GENDER-LOVING MEN. THIS IS ONE OF THE SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES OF OUR TIME. I STAND HERE ON THE SHOULDERS OF SO MANY BLACK AND BROWN, LGBT COMMUNITIES, PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV, ACTIVISTS, CLINICIANS WHO HAVE DONE THIS WORK TO GET US TO THE POINT WHERE WE CAN SAY WE CAN END THE EPIDEMIC. WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE ARE ALL THERE TOGETHER. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] ...

THANK YOU, DR. FANFAIR. THAT'S AWESOME. EXCELLENT. NEXT WE HAVE DR. JOSHUA SHARFSTEIN. HE IS AT THE BLOOMBERG SCHOOL OF -- ALSO OF PUBLIC HEALTH AT JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY. BUT I KNOW HIM FROM WAY BACK WHEN HE WAS THE HEAD OF THE BALTIMORE CITY HEALTH DEPARTMENT FOR A LONG TIME. HE ALSO LED TO THE STATE OF HEALTH AS WELL. AND HE WAS A GOOD FRIEND OF MY LATE HUSBAND. WITH THAT, DR. JOSH SHARFSTEIN. [APPLAUSE] ...

THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYA. IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE ON WORLD AIDS DAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL THE CENTERS AND PROGRAMS THAT SPONSORED TODAY. I WANT TO SAY, DR. FANFAIR WAS THE BALTIMORE CITY HEALTH DEPARTMENT LEADER AS WELL. IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE. I HAVE JUST A COUPLE SLIDES. I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT THINGS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, WHICH IS THE IMPORTANCE OF OVERCOMING INEQUITIES IN THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM IN ORDER TO MAKE CRITICAL PROGRESS ON HIV. AS DR. FANFAIR MENTIONED SOME OF THIS, BUT THIS IS THE LATEST DATA FROM CDC. IT IS JUST WORTH LOOKING AT FOR A SECOND HERE. THERE ARE MANY INEQUITIES IN HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE. THIS IS ONE OF THE PARTICULARLY STAGGERING ONES. IN THE LAST DATA, 78% OF WHITE AMERICANS WHO COULD BENEFIT FROM PREP RECEIVED IT, BUT IT WAS ONLY 11% OF BLACK, AFRICAN-AMERICANS, AND 21% OF HISPANIC, LATINO AMERICANS. JUST ENTER NORMA'S CAP -- JUST AN ENORMOUS GAP IN AXIS. DON'T WANT TO IMPLY THAT MEDICAL INTERVENTIONS ARE THE ONLY THING, BUT IT IS NO COINCIDENCE THAT TWO THIRDS OF NEW INFECTIONS ARE AMONG BLACKS AND HISPANICS. THE LATEST PRELIMINARY DATA FROM 2022 SHOWS THAT GAP HAS GROWN LARGER, AND IT ILLUSTRATES SOMETHING THAT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND. THE GREAT MEDICAL ADVANCE CAN TRANSLATE INTO MORE INEQUITIES IF IT GOES THROUGH THE PRISM OF AN INEQUITABLE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM. WHEN PEOPLE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO CARE, WHEN THE PEOPLE WHO CAN GET A GET HELP AND THE PEOPLE WHO CAN'T GET IT DON'T GET HELP THIS IS ONE OF THE STORIES OF HIV AND NOW IT IS A STORY OF PREP. WHAT IS KEEPING PEOPLE FROM PREP ? THERE ARE A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT REASONS. I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE FIRST ONE, INADEQUATE ACCESS, BUT I DON'T WANT TO APPLY IS THE ONLY ONE. IF IMPLY IT IS THE ONLY ONE. THERE ARE SOCIAL FACTORS, THE WAY THAT RACISM AND HOMOPHOBIA EXPRESS THEMSELVES CAN INADEQUATE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT PREP, WHICH CDC IS WORKING ON FOR GREAT CAMPAIGNS, AND OTHER REASONS. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE FIRST ONE FROM GETTING ACCESS TO MEDICATION. THAT IS WHY MY FOCUS IS ON THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM IS THE PRISM FOR GENERATING INEQUITIES. YOU HEARD THAT MOST OF THE GAPS IN HIV, OR A HUGE CHUNK OF IT, IS IN THE SOUTH. IT IS NO COINCIDENCE THAT MANY STATES IN THE SOUTH HAVE NOT EXPENDED ACCESS TO MEDICAID AND MANY DON'T HAVE INSURANCE. WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU ARE UNINSURED AND YOU WANT TO GET A MEDICINE THAT REQUIRES LAB TESTS TO PREVENT HIV INFECTION? AS DR. FANFAIR SAID, 99% FOR PREVENTION. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE DESTROYED, IT IS CONFUSING THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO READ THIS CHART, IT IS CONFUSING -- YOU DON'T HAVE TO READ THIS CHART, IT IS CONFUSING. BASICALLY YOU HAVE TO FILL OUT A LOT OF PAPERWORK. I TALKED TO A WOMEN DOING PHENOMENAL WORK IN ARKANSAS SHE SAYS THAT EVERYONE WANTS PREP. THERE'S JUST ONE PROBLEM, NOBODY CAN GET THE PREP. THERE IS A PHONE NUMBER YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO CALL AND NOBODY PICKS IT UP IN THE STATE. DANGERFIELD FROM SCHOOL NURSING DID FOCUS GROUPS AT TALKED TO SOMEONE WHO SAID IT IS EXPENSIVE FOR A DISEASE I DON'T HAVE. YOU HAVE TO MAKE PREP EASY FOR PEOPLE. IT IS LIKE A VACCINE. IT WORKS 99% OF THE TIME FOR SEXUAL CONDUCT AND 70% FOR IV DRUG USE. YOU HAVE GOT TO MAKE IT EASY. IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE PROGRESS THAT WAS MADE IN MANY COMMUNITIES ON THE COVID VACCINE, IT IS BECAUSE IT WAS MADE EASY. BUT IF PEOPLE HAVE TO FILL OUT MONTHLY PAPERWORK AND PAY OUT-OF-POCKET COMPUTER CANNOT BE SURPRISED WHEN THERE IS YOU JEANETTE -- YOU CANNOT BE SURPRISED WHEN THERE IS HUGE INEQUITIES IN ACCESS. TO CUT THROUGH THE COMPLEXITY COME WE CANNOT RELY ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF AN INEQUITABLE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM TO CLOSE THESE STAGGERING AND GROWING GAPS IN ACCESS. I HAVE WORKED WITH MANY PEOPLE, MANY IN THIS ROOM, ON PUTTING FORTH THE IDEA OF A PREP PROGRAM THAT WOULD MAKE IT MUCH EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO GET PREP. YOU COULD GO TO THE PHARMACY AND GET IT FROM A PHARMACIST. IT WOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF LOW-PRICED GENERIC PREP, THREE LABORATORY TESTS. FOR PEOPLE -- FREE LABORATORY TEST. FOR PEOPLE WHO JUST LIVED THROUGH THE PANDEMIC, IT IS LIKE WE DID FOR COVID, GO ANYWHERE AND GET A TEST, WE WILL PARTNER WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO GET PEOPLE TESTING AND VACCINES DIRECTLY. THAT IS THE KIND OF PREP PROGRAM THAT IS NECESSARY. THE CRITICAL ROLE OF TRUSTED COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THOSE SUPPORTED BY THE MINORITY AIDS INITIATIVE AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR CDC TO BEGIN WORK ON THIS BY HAVING A PILOT THAT JUST FOCUSES ON MAKING PREP ACCESSIBLE. THERE IS EDUCATION ALONE WITHOUT THE ACCESS IS NOT A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS. HERE ARE A COUPLE OF SITES TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS. I APPRECIATE THE CHANCE TO TALK MORE ABOUT IT. I THINK THIS IS A MAJOR OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE INTO THE FUTURE AND TACKLE THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM AND INEQUITIES DARKLY FOR GREATER PROGRESS ON HIV. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] ...

THANK YOU, DR. SHARFSTEIN. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WE HAVE THE DIRECTOR OF POLICY -- I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF WORKING WITH JOE OVER THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF. HE IS A PASSIONATE AND COMPASSIONATE LEADER. HE GETS WHAT IS HAPPENING ON CAPITOL HILL AND WHY IT IS HAPPENING. AND HE IS GOING TO GIVE US A SENSE TODAY OF THE LANDSCAPE IN TERMS OF WHAT IS HAPPENING ON THE HOUSE ASIDE AND THE SENATE SIDE AND WHAT IS LIKELY TO HAPPEN WITH REGARDS TO FUNDING AND WHY. EXPLAIN WHY, JOE. ...

NO, THANK YOU. MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION. I DO WANT TO SAY FIRST, THANK YOU TO DR. CUMMINGS. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW THIS, BUT SHE WROTE HER PHD DISSERTATION ON THE MIA. AND IT IS IN LARGE PART WITH HER BACKGROUND WITH CONGRESSWOMAN WATERS AND THE CDC, WHERE SHE WAS ALSO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THAT WE GOT AS FAR AS WE DID WITH THE M.I.A. BECAUSE OF YOUR DRIVE THERE. IT WAS ABOUT A YEAR AGO WHERE FOLKS AT NMAC THOUGHT THERE MIGHT BE SOME TROUBLE REGARDING FUNDING. AND WHAT WE DID WAS WE PUT TOGETHER A GROUP TO TRY TO -- WHEN THE DOCTOR PUT THE STATS UP THERE AND WE SAW THE HUGE GAPS IN DISPARITY, THERE WAS A HUGE RED FLAG FOR US BECAUSE THE MONEY -- THE MIA FUNDS ARE NOT GETTING, IN OUR OPINION, TO THE ORGANIZATIONS AND THE COMMUNITIES THAT NEED THE FUNDING. THE MAI HAS MORPHED INTO $425 MILLION. THAT WAS OUR LATEST TARGET, ANYWAYS. MAXINE HAS WANTED TO GET IT OVER $600 MILLION, BUT THE POLITICS HAS GOTTEN IN THE WAY, AND IT IS GOING TO KILL PEOPLE BECAUSE THESE NUMBERS, PARTICULARLY WITH PREP AND FOLKS THAT CAN'T GET PREP, ARE GOING TO BE SUFFERING THE MOST. THE COMMUNITIES THAT NEEDED THE MOST ARE NOT GOING TO GET IT, AND IT IS GOING TO BE EXASPERATED BY THE POLITICS OF THIS. I REMEMBER WHEN -- I RETIRED FROM THE HILL IN 2017, AND MY FIRST BOSS WAS SENATOR KENNEDY, TED KENNEDY. WHEN THEY DID THE RYAN WHITE CARE ACT, WE SAW THAT THE MINORITY COMMUNITIES NEEDED THEIR OWN SEPARATE FUNDING. FAST-FORWARDED TO NMAC. WE TRIED TO UNPACK THE MAI. REMARKABLY, THE GOAL HERE WAS TO GET THE MONEY FROM MINORITY -- LET ME GET THIS RIGHT HERE -- MINORITY-SERVING ORGANIZATIONS BACK TO WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS THE ORIGINAL INTENT OF MINORITY LED ORGANIZATIONS. THERE IS QUITE A BIG DIFFERENCE. WE BROUGHT MAYA TO HELP US LEAD THIS CHARGE AND WE PUT TOGETHER TONY NEWMAN, GUILLERMO WAS ON THE TEAM, AND WE WORKED WITH MAXINE'S OFFICE. WHAT WE FOUND OUT WAS THERE WAS NO STATUTORY FUNDING ATTACHED. WE SAID THE ORIGINAL INTENT WAS MINORITY-LED ORGANIZATIONS. THAT WAS THE BELIEF FOR 25 YEARS. WE FOUND OUT WAS THERE REALLY IS NO HARDENED LANGUAGE THAT SAYS THAT. SO, WE WERE KIND OF STRUGGLING, IF YOU WILL, TO IDENTIFY A FIXED -- BECAUSE WE KNEW IT, SO WHAT WE DID, WE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN DOING THIS LAST YEAR, WHAT WE DID WAS WE WERE ABLE TO GET REPORT LANGUAGE INTO THE BILL WHICH DIRECTED THE SECRETARY TO IDENTIFY WAYS TO BRING THE MAI FUND BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL INTENT. THEN THE POLITICS GOT WORSE, BECAUSE THE DOBBS DECISION CAME OUT, AND THE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION -- THE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION WAS BEING ARGUED IN FRONT OF THE SUPREME COURT. SO, WE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING THE LANGUAGE. BUT ENFORCING THE LANGUAGE WAS ANOTHER BALL OF WAX. WE MET WITH --AND MAYA WAS THERE -- WE MET WITH MAXINE'S OFFICE, AND SHE WAS QUITE FURIOUS. IF YOU KNOW MAXINE, YOU DON'T WANT TO BE ON HER BEDSIDE AT ANY EVEN POINT. -- AT HER BAD SIDE AT ANY GIVEN POINT. WE ARGUED WITH SECRETARY BECERRA AND THE DECISION WAS ULTIMATELY MADE IT TO HIT PAUSE AND NOT RATTLE THIS, BECAUSE THE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION CASE, WHICH IT DID COME OUT THE WAY WE THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO COME OUT, THAT TARGETED SCHOOLS. WHAT IS TO STOP THEM TO GOING AFTER HEALTH FUNDING, TARGETED FUNDING FOR MINORITY COMMUNITIES COMMIT CETERA? -- MINORITY COMMUNITIES, ETC. CAN KNOW IT WAS A DANGEROUS AREA TO BE IN. SO WE HIT PAUSE, AND THEN THE HOUSE FLIPPED. WE ARE GOING TO WAIT AND PUT EFFORT FOOT ON THE GAS TO GET THE FUNDING REINSTATED -- I SAY REINSTATED BECAUSE IT IS STILL OUT THERE. WE WILL WORK WITH THE SENATE TO KEEP THE FUNDING IN THERE. LORD KNOWS WITH THIS CURRENT POLITICAL CLIMATE IN THE HOUSE HOW THIS GOING TO FALL OUT. UNDERSTANDING THIS, THEY COMPLETELY, COMPLETELY ELIMINATED THE EPIDEMIC LINE. COMPLETELY ELIMINATED THAT FUNDING. YEAH. THE HIV EPIDEMIC -- ACTUALLY IT WAS FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP THAT GOT THE MONEY GOING THERE. IT WAS IN ESSENCE A FUNDING INITIATIVE TO GET PREP INTO THE COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY NEED IT THE MOST. WE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING AN INCREASE IN THAT FUNDING LINE THIS CONGRESS ZEROED IT OUT. AND THAT IS INTERESTING, BECAUSE WHEN WE WERE ON THE HILL, AND I SAY "WE" WHEN I SEE JESSE HERE -- WHEN OUR COALITION PARTNERS WERE ON THE HILL, THAT WAS OUR IN TO THE GOP OFFICES, THIS IS A TRUMP INITIATIVE. YOU DON'T WANT TO TAKE OUT FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP'S PROGRAM. PRESIDENT BIDEN DOUBLED DOWN TO ENDING THE EPIDEMIC BY I THINK 2030. BUT YOU HAVE THIS KIND OF CONGRESS THAT ZEROED OUT A TRUMP PROGRAM IS HIGHLY UNUSUAL FOR THEN WE STARTED DIGGING DEEPER. IT IS MORE THAN EHE. MAI WAS CUT TO THE TUNE OF $375 MILLION, RIGHT DOWN TO NOTHING. WHICH WILL EXASPERATE THE PROBLEM EVEN MORE SO. WE SAW THE FUNDING LINES WITHIN HIV ZEROED OUT OR DARNED NEAR ZEROED OUT. AND THAT IS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE WE ARE AT A POINT IN THIS COUNTRY WHERE WE REALLY EARNESTLY BELIEVE WE CAN STOP OR GET AS CLOSE TO STOPPING THE TRANSMISSION OF HIV IS POSSIBLE. NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO TAKE AWAY THE FUNDING. NOW IS THE TIME TO DOUBLE DOWN. THE POLITICS OF THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS, THOUGH. I WANT TO EMPHASIZE WE ARE IN A VERY UNKNOWN TERRITORY, PARTICULARLY WITH HIV FUNDING. SOMETIMES -- I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT TWO THINGS DRIVE ADVOCACY, AND ANGER IS NUMBER ONE. AND I AM GOING TO TALK MAYBE NOT HERE, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME WEBINARS PLANNED AT NMAC WHERE WE TALK ABOUT THE ANGER IN THE COMMUNITIES. I WILL STOP THERE, MAYA, BUT I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THE MAI FUNDS -- ...

NO, THAT IS A GOOD SEGUE, BECAUSE I'M GOING TO COME BACK THIS WAY. TO BE CLEAR, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES -- CONGRESS IS BICAMERAL -- THEY ARE THE ONES THAT ZEROED OUT ON THE SENATE SIDE, IS THERE A DIFFERENT STORY? ...

OUR EFFORTS IN GENERAL HAVE BEEN ON THE SENATE, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WITH THE CURRENT MAKEUP OF THE HOUSE, UNFORTUNATELY THE FREEDOM CAUCUS ARE CALLING THE SHOTS OVER THERE. AND SO APPROPRIATION BILLS ARE BEING STALLED. THEY COULDN'T EVEN GET THE CJS BILL OUT. WE THINK THE BETTER APPROACH IS, YES, WE RISK AND HASSLE -- WE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN BEATING BACK THE AMENDMENT WHICH WOULD HAVE ELIMINATED THE FUNDING, THE HOUSING PROGRAM FOR PEOPLE WITH HIV AIDS. WE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN BEATING BACK SOME OF THESE CUTS. BUT I THINK OUR EFFORTS HAVE TO BE FINE-TUNED IN THE SENATE, MAYA, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE HOUSE -- IF WE CAN'T BEAT BACK THESE AMENDMENTS, WE HAVE TO CHANGE COURSE AND GO TO THE SENATE, MUCH MORE FRIENDLIER TERRITORY, BY THE WAY. OBVIOUSLY IT WOULD BE HARD-PRESSED FOR PRESIDENT BIDEN EVEN IF IT GOT THROUGH THE SENATE FOR HIM TO SIGN SUCH A BILL THAT ELIMINATED HIS PROGRAM AND HIS FUNDING REQUEST. SO WE ARE IN A GOOD POSITION IN THE SENATE. HOUSE CHANGES BY THE DAY. ...

SO, GUILLERMO, DR. FANFAIR MENTIONED RACISM, SEXISM, HOMOPHOBIA, ALL THE STRUCTURAL DISCRIMINATIONS AND HOW THEY ARE AT PLAY SHAPING THE EXPERIENCE AND THE NATURE OF THE RESPONSE. FIRST OF ALL, DO YOU AGREE THAT THAT IS WHAT IS ANIMATING SOME OF THESE ATTACKS ON FUNDING FOR HIV-AIDS? ...

DEFINITELY, AND I APPRECIATE MY FELLOW SPEAKERS HERE, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THIS IN PARTICULAR IS ONE OF THE MOST PAINFUL AND DIFFICULT CHALLENGES , THE STIGMA -- I'M TALKING ABOUT HOMOPHOBIA, TRANSPHOBIA, NOW XENOPHOBIA ALSO -- THAT IS ANOTHER BARRIER. AND I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE THAT FROM THE PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVE WE CANNOT WALK AWAY FROM SOCIAL ISSUES AND ESPECIALLY STIGMA ASSOCIATED WITH SOME POPULATIONS AND SOME COMMUNITIES THAT WILL BE A MAJOR BARRIER. AND WHEN YOU GO DEEPER IN THE SOUTH, MOST OF THE HIV INFECTIONS AND AN INCREASE IN THE LAST FEW YEARS OF SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS ARE IN THE SOUTH. AND IT IS WHERE WE HAVE THE BIGGEST ISSUES TO ACCESS HEALTH CARE. THAT IS A CRITICAL PART. AND ALL THESE STIGMAS WILL BE A MAJOR BARRIER. FROM MY PERSPECTIVE MORE PERSONAL IN TERMS OF HISPANIC, LATINX, OR LATINOS, LATINAS, WE HAVE TO DELIVER THE MESSAGE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH AND SOME DIALECTS AS WELL. YOU DEAL WITH THOSE FROM HONDURAS AND MIAMI, BUT ESPECIALLY NEW YORK, THEY SPEAK THEIR OWN LANGUAGE. YOU GO TO NEW YORK AND THE SOMEBODY YOU WILL HEAR SPEAKING, PEOPLE SAY, WHAT THEY SPEAKING? I TELL PEOPLE, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THOSE REALITIES. AND WHEN YOU BRING THE ISSUE OF THESE STIGMAS THAT DR. FANFAIR WAS MENTIONING, AND MAKES IT MORE COMPLICATED. ALSO WHEN I COME BACK, THE BEST THING WHEN WE DISH THE BEST THING WE CAN DO IS -- THE BEST THING WE CAN DO IS GENERATE POLITICAL WILL, THESE DAYS IT'S VERY COMPLICATED. BUT IT IS ALSO ABOUT LEADERSHIP. PUBLIC HEALTH WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BE IN MANY, MANY BUDGETS AND AGENDAS IF EACH OF US AND ALL OF US DO NOT MAKE ACCOUNTABLE AND CHALLENGE OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS. AND JOE DID A GREAT JOB TO GIVE US THE UPDATE OF THE LANDSCAPE. BUT I WANT TO REMIND ALL OF US THAT THE THING THAT WE USE DISH WE PUT TOGETHER A BIG HEALTH POLICY SUMMIT TO ADDRESS THE FEDERAL ISSUE FOR HISPANIC, LATINX PERSPECTIVE, WE WANT TO BRING ALSO THE ISSUE OF HAVE CLARITY ABOUT BRINGING AND RESCUING 1998, THE MINORITY AIDS INITIATIVE, BREAK IT DOWN TO ENSURE THAT COMMUNITIES LED BY BLACK FOLKS, LATINOS, HISPANICS, ASIANS, AND A NATIVE'S ARE RESCUED IN ORDER TO BE A KEY PARTNER AND TO BE ON THE TABLE CHASING AGENDA AND CHASING PRIORITIES. THANK YOU. ...

AND IN FACT, IS THAT NOT AN EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGY? DR. SHARFSTEIN AND DR. FANFAIR, AND THE PUBLIC HEALTH WORLD THERE ARE ALL THESE FANCY TERMS. ONE BASICALLY MEANS MATCH. THE RESEARCH SHOWS THAT CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE INTERVENTIONS MATTER FOR COMMUNITIES THAT ARE UNDERREPRESENTED IN HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED. THE WHOLE NOTION OF IF YOU HAVE A DOCTOR THAT IS OF THE SAME RACIAL OR ETHNIC OR LINGUISTIC COMPARABILITY WITH THE PATIENT THEY ARE SEEING, THAT PATIENT IS MORE LIKELY TO HAVE EFFECTIVE OUTCOMES. THE SAME THING, THE EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST THE SAME THING HOLDS TRUE FOR COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, THAT IF YOU HAVE COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS LED BY THE POPULATION GROUPS MOST AFFECTED AND THEY ARE SERVING AND WORKING IN WITH THOSE COMMUNITIES, THE OUTCOMES ARE GOING TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE. THAT IS EVIDENCE-BASED. IS THAT NOT CORRECT, DR. SHARFSTEIN? ...

I WOULD AGREE WITH YOU. [LAUGHTER]

SO IT IS NOT JUST A MATTER OF -- WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT, OH, THEY'RE JUST COMPLAINING THEY WANT TO GET MONEY. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGIES, SCIENTIFICALLY SHOWN EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGIES. ...

THAT IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE AND YOU ARE RIGHT THAT THERE IS A MAJOR UNDERREPRESENTATION PROGRAM IN MEDICINE AND THAT HAS CONSEQUENCES FOR HIV AND ANY OTHER DISEASES FOR PEOPLE TO GET CARE AND FEEL COMFORTABLE IN CARE. MORE BROADLY, RACISM HAS SHAPE TO THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM IN THE UNITED STATES AND ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE IN THE UNITED STATES. IT IS LIKE TRUDGING UP A MOUNTAIN WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO MAKE PROGRESS ON AN ISSUE WHEN THE MOUNTAIN IS ALL OBSTACLES THAT HAVE BEEN THROWN IN HALF AN DECADE UPON DECADE OF DISCRIMINATION AND BIAS. THAT IS WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE YOU ARE CLIMBING THE MOUNTAIN. IT IS IMPORTANT TO SEE THE MOUNTAIN AND IT IS IMPORTANT TO BE THINKING ABOUT HOW DO WE CUT THROUGH IT, HOW DO WE DEVELOP A STRATEGY FOR ENGAGING WITH THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, GETTING MORE PROVIDERS WHO REPRESENT COMMUNITIES AND ARE WORKING WITH THEM, AND GETTING MORE PROGRAMS AND PATHWAYS THAT ACTUALLY CAN BRING CARE TO PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE IN WAYS THAT DON'T REQUIRE THEM TO BASICALLY DO THE IMPOSSIBLE IN ORDER TO GET THE TREATMENT THEY NEED. ...

DR. FANFAIR, I THOUGHT THAT I HEARD YOU ALL WERE FUNDING STRATEGIES THAT SEEK TO DO THAT. IN LIGHT OF THE CONCERNS AND CONSIDERATIONS ABOUT AFFIRMATIVE ACTION LAWS AND WHAT THAT MIGHT MEAN FOR FUNDING GROUPS THAT ARE LED BY COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, HOW IS THE CDC INTERPRETING HOW TO APPROACH LEVERAGING EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGIES THAT RELY ON RACIAL AND ETHNIC AND LINGUISTIC CONCORDANCE IN ORDER TO HAVE EFFECTIVE OUTCOMES? ...

THANK YOU, MAYA. I ALSO WANTED TO GO BACK TO YOUR LAST COMMENT AND PIGGYBACK OFF OF JOSH'S RESPONSE. IN ADDITION TO MY JOB AT CDC, I SERVE AS A MEDICAL PROVIDER FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV. ONLY 2% OF PHYSICIANS IN THIS COUNTRY ARE BLACK WOMEN, 5% ARE BLACK. THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE, YOU CAN SEE THAT INCONGRUENCE WITH PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV. IT IS SO IMPORTANT AND SO INSPIRING BEING HERE, SEEING SO MANY WONDERFUL FACES OF YOUNG PEOPLE BEING HERE, BECAUSE YOU ARE THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS. IT IS BEAUTIFUL TO SEE SO MANY FACES FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD HERE AND INSPIRED TO DO THIS WORK. THE WAY THAT US AT CDC ARE INTERPRETING IT IS THAT IT HAS TO BE COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS. WE HAVE OVER 96 COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND 36 THAT DIRECTLY SERVE SAME-GENDER-LOVING MEN AND PEOPLE OF TRANS EXPERIENCE YOU ARE OF COLOR, BLACK AND HISPANIC LATINOS. THAT IS THE WAY WE DIRECTED THE FUNDS, AND INTERNALLY WE ARE DOING INVESTIGATIONS TO SEE WHO LEADS THESE SUB COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS. WE HAVE SOME REALLY PROMISING DATA WE HAVE SEEN FROM INTERNAL INVESTIGATIONS THAT WE AT CDC REALLY DO SUPPORT THE INITIAL MISSION, BUT WHAT WE CAN DO, WE CANNOT USE RACE AS A WAY TO DIRECT THE FUNDS, SO IT IS AFTER THE FUNDS HAVE BEEN AWARDED TO THE COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS THAT SERVE THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT HOPEFULLY IT IS LED BY -- WE WELCOME WHAT YOU ARE SUPPORTING AS WELL TO RETURN IT TO ITS INITIAL INTENT. ...

SO WHY CAN'T YOU USE RACE, JUST TO BE CLEAR?

BECAUSE OF THE WORDING THAT'S IN THE STATUTE.

OK. I WANT TO PIVOT TO THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH. WE HAVE A SITUATION WHERE THE BURDEN OF THIS DISEASE IS NOW ACTUALLY BEING DISPROPORTIONATELY BORNE ON COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, EVEN THOUGH WE ARE 30% -- AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND LATINOS ARE JUST 30% OF THE U.S. POPULATION, THEY WERE 60% OF -- THEY WERE 67% OF NEW INFECTIONS IN 2019. DID YOU HEAR ME? 67% OF NEW INFECTIONS IN 2019, ONLY 30% OF THE POPULATION. THERE ARE LIKELY A FRIDAY BANK OF THE FACTORS -- A VARIETY OF FACTORS DRIVING THIS. BY THE WAY, THOSE DISPARITIES HAVE BEEN APPARENT, BY THE WAY, SINCE ALMOST THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE DISEASE. THE CDC FIGURES SHOW THAT IN THE LATE 1980'S, CIRCA 1987, THE INCIDENCE OF HIV-AIDS AND AFRICAN-AMERICANS SURPASSED THAT OF WHITE AMERICANS. THAT WAS BACK IN 1987. YES, DR. SHARFSTEIN? ...

FIRST OF ALL, I THINK THAT PERCENTAGE HAS GOTTEN HIGHER OVER TIME SINCE 2019 SECOND, YOUR POINT MAKES ME THINK OF -- WE HAVE SOMEONE AT THE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH WHO WORKS ON HIV AMONG BLACK WOMEN IN THE SOUTH. IT IS A POPULATION THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HERE. AND SHE FOCUSES HER WORK ON THE RISK OF INTIMATE-PARTNER VIOLENCE AND THE INTERPLAY WITH HOUSING ACCESS, SAFETY, AND HIV RISK. WHAT SHE FINDS IS THAT YOU CANNOT JUST THINK ABOUT HIV BY ITSELF WHEN IT RELATES TO THE RELATIONSHIP PEOPLE ARE IN AND THE FEARS PEOPLE HAVE FOR THEIR SAFETY AND THEIR ABILITY TO BE SAFE LITERALLY IN HOUSING. THAT IS ONE OF MANY EXAMPLES OF HOW SOCIAL FACTORS AND SOCIAL DETERMINANTS DETERMINISM ARE ESSENTIAL TO UNDERSTANDING, FIRST OF ALL, THE ARMS DISPARITIES, AND THEN CREATING A VISION FOR HOW YOU CAN MAKE PROGRESS. PEOPLE HAVE TO FEEL SAFE, THEY NEED OPTIONS, THEY NEED ACCESS, AND THEY NEED SUPPORT IN DIFFERENT WAYS. AND THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES FOR THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM. THERE SHOULD BE HEALTH CARE IN PROGRAMS FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING INTIMATE-PARTNER VIOLENCE BECAUSE PREP, FOR EXAMPLE, COULD BE USEFUL, BUT OFTENTIMES THERE AREN'T. THE SERVICES ARE SILOED. THERE SHOULD BE SERVICES FOR INTIMATE-PARTNER VIOLENCE IN HIV CARE. THIS IS ONE OF THE MAIN POINTS SHE MAKES. I THINK OF HER AND I THINK OF THIS PARTICULAR VERY TANGIBLE ISSUE AS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT. ...

I WANT DR. FANFAIR TO PICK UP, BUT I WANT FOLKS TO GET READY FOR YOUR QUESTIONS. WE WOULD LIKE TO TAKE QUESTIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE, AND I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE VOLUNTEERS WHO WILL BE WANDERING AROUND WITH MICROPHONES. RAISE YOUR HAND, VOLUNTEERS, THOSE WITH MICROPHONES. WE'VE GOT ONE OVER HERE, AND WHERE IS THE OTHER? ALL RIGHT. OK, OVER HERE. GET READY WITH YOUR QUESTIONS. RAISE YOUR HAND AND THEY WILL COME TO YOU. DR. FANFAIR. ...

I WOULD JUST ADD THAT SO MANY OF THE SYSTEMIC ISSUES THAT WE SEE ARE LEADING TO THESE DISPARITIES WE ARE SEEING. ONE WOULD BE ACCESS TO SAFE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND ONE THING I'M REALLY HAPPY TO SEE THIS PAST YEAR IS THE COORDINATION BETWEEN "NONTRADITIONAL PARTNERS" AT THE TABLE SPEAKING ABOUT THE INTERSECTION OF HOUSING AND SEXUAL HEALTH, BECAUSE THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT. COMING FROM BALTIMORE, AS JOSH SAID, I HAD SO MANY PATIENTS WHO I HAD THE HONOR OF SERVING WHO WERE IN AND OUT OF INCARCERATION BECAUSE OF THE MASS INCARCERATION THAT IMPACTED BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES, THE OVER POLICING OF BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES, WHERE WE HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT THEM IN ACHIEVING VIRAL SUPPRESSION AND WHEN THEY ARE IN AND OUT THEY ARE NOT VIRALLY SUPPRESSED ANYMORE. HOUSING, INTIMATE-PARTNER VIOLENCE, ALL OF THOSE THINGS, IT IS BIGGER THAN THE MEDICAL MODEL OF HIV BUT IT IMPACT THE DISPARITIES WE ARE SEEING. ...

DO YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING?

THANK YOU, MAYA. I WANT TO REMIND AND CHALLENGE ALL OF US, THERE HAS BEEN A SUSTAINED INCREASE AND IMPACT IN BLACK AND LATINO AND ASIAN AND NATIVE AMERICANS, BUT ESPECIALLY BLACK AND LATINOS AND LATINAS. I THINK THAT ISSUE HAS TO BE A HUGE RED FLAG FOR ALL OF US. AND I REALLY RESPECT AND ADMIRE ANYBODY AT THE PUBLIC LEVEL WORKING FOR A CITY, COUNTY, STATE, AND DEFINITELY AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, BECAUSE I KNOW, MANY OF US KNOW HOW HARD YOU WORK FOR A GOVERNMENT ENTITY. I WANT TO REMIND US THAT WE NEED TO PUT ENERGY AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL BUT DON'T FORGET OUR STATE AND TERRITORIES, BECAUSE THEY SHAPE AND DECIDE AND PUT TOGETHER THE GUIDELINES OF HOW HEALTH CARE IS DELIVERED COME IN THE 50 STATES AND THE TERRITORIES. THE OTHER PIECE I WANT TO REMIND ALL OF US IS THAT ALL OF THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH -- I DEFINITELY AGREE WE CANNOT PUT HIV ALONE, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAVE A POPULATION, A LARGE POPULATION LIVING WITH HIV OVER 50. WE KNOW -- I AM 60. LOOKS GOOD, BUT 60, THAT IS THE REALITY. COMORBIDITIES ARE ANOTHER CHALLENGE. A NATION MUST BE JUDGED BASED ON YOUR BUDGET PRIORITIES. I THINK IT IS AN ISSUE ABOUT OUR CONSCIENCE AS A NATION THAT WE CANNOT LEFT ANYBODY BEHIND. WE MUST DO SOMETHING DEALING WITH THE ILLNESS THAT THEIR 100% PREVENTABLE -- THAT ARE 100% PREVENTABLE. WE NEED TO CHECK OUR OWN INTERNAL BIASES, OUR OWN RACISM, OUR INTERNAL HOMOPHOBIA, TRANSPHOBIA, HOW WE ENGAGE AND HOW WE BRING AND CONNECT WITH PEOPLE WITH RESPECT AND DIGNITY IS CRUCIAL. AND I THINK THE OPENING REMARKS, I LOVE THAT POINT BECAUSE IF -- IT IS ABOUT ENSURE THAT PEOPLE THAT ARE DEALING WITH AN ISSUE ARE THE TABLE. IF WE ARE NOT AT THE TABLE, WE ARE PART OF THE MENU AND SOMEONE WILL BE CHOOSING FOR US. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] ...

SO, BEING AT THE TABLE AS PART OF THE POLITICAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH. DO WE HAVE A QUESTION FROM THE AUDIENCE? YES? SIR?

MINING IS LUDLOW -- MY NAME IS LUDLOW. I'M A FORMER COMMISSION OFFICER AND I WORKED AT NIH IN THE HIV-AIDS BUREAU. I SEE CAPTAIN FANFAIR, WORKING WITH CDC, AND I DON'T SEE ANY REPRESENTATION FROM HIV-AIDS BUREAU, AND ONE OF THE THINGS I ALWAYS FOUND WAS THAT THERE IS NO COURT NATION BETWEEN AGENCY -- NO COORDINATION BETWEEN AGENCIES, I.E. RYAN WHITE CARE ACT, BECAUSE I WAS THERE WHEN -- BACK IN, I GUESS, LATE 1990'S, EARLY 2000S, WHEN MAXINE WATERS BECAME INVOLVED. I CAME BACK, I WENT TO THE CDC MEETING AND RAISE THE ISSUE OF HOW MINORITY COMMUNITIES WERE IMPACTED. I WENT BECAUSE I KNEW ABOUT THE CDC. NO ONE ELSE FROM THE BUREAU WENT. I CAME BACK AND WARNED THEM, AND WE HAD TO PUT OUT A PROPOSAL TO MEASURE THE IMPACT OF RYAN WHITE CARE ACT MINORITY COMMUNITIES. THAT IS THE TIME YOU WERE WORKING WITH THEM, DR. CUMMINGS. ...

WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME OF THAT? WAS IT A REPORT?

IT WAS SOME REPORT. BUT THE OUTCOME OF THE REPORT WAS -- I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T RECALL.

WE DIDN'T KNOW EACH OTHER, BUT YOU WERE IN THE SAME ROOMS I WAS IT.

WE KNEW EACH OTHER FROM ANOTHER CONNECTION. YOUR HUSBAND AND I WERE CLASSMATES.

WERE YOU A CITY GRAD?

NO, FROM HOWARD.

HOWARD UNIVERSITY.

WE'VE TALKED.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

HOW COME THERE IS NO SEEMING COORDINATION BETWEEN HRSA, HIV-AIDS BUREAU, AND CDC IN TERMS OF WHAT IT IS YOU ARE DOING? THAT IS MY OBSERVATION.

WE COULD HAVE HAD A WHOLE PANEL WITH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT KIND OF TIME. I DO THINK THAT -- YEAH, GO AHEAD.

I DEFINITELY LIKE TO SPEAK FOR CDC, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR OTHER AGENCIES, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE STRONG PARTNERSHIP WE HAVE WITH EACH RSA -- WITH HRSA. JUST ON THE HIV INITIATIVE, HRSA AND CDC ARE THE IMPLEMENT PARTNERS, AND SO WE WORK STRONGLY IN PARTNERSHIP ALSO FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. WE FINISHED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS WITH HRSA AND CDC WHERE WE WENT AROUND ALL OF THE REGIONS TO SPEAK DIRECTLY ABOUT THE COMMUNITY. WE FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT, AS YOU ARE SAYING, THE PARTNERSHIP THAT NEEDS TO BE THERE, HOW WE CAN SUPPORT FUNDING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNICATION IS GOING ON BETWEEN THE AGENCIES. THAT CONNECTION HAS DEVELOPED AND IS GROWING AND IS THERE AND THEY ARE GREAT PARTNERS WITH CDC. MAYA HE BRINGS UP: A POINT ABOUT COORDINATION. THE QUESTION BECOMES WITH HOUSING, WITH ALL OF THESE AGENCIES THAT HAVE A PIECE OF THESE MONIES, HOW DO WE ACTUALLY REINFORCE COORDINATION IN WAYS THAT ACTUALLY WORK ON THE GROUND FOR THOSE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING WHO ARE AT RISK OR WORKING WITH HIV/ DID YOU WANT TO JUMP IN, DR. SHARFSTEIN? ...

THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION FOR HIV AND IT IS NOT UNIQUE TO HIV. THERE ARE MANY ISSUES WHERE THERE ARE MULTIPLE AGENCIES WORKING ON THE PARTICULAR CHALLENGE. WE SAW SOME OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS DURING THE PANDEMIC WHEN THERE WAS DIFFERENT THINGS THAT HAPPENED. THE COMMONWEALTH FUND HAD A NATIONAL COMMISSION TO LOOK AT HHS AND THE CHALLENGING QUESTION OF HOW HHS COULD BE BETTER ORGANIZED AND SERVE BETTER COORDINATION SO COME JUST LIKE YOU SAID, MAYA, THE -- FIRST OF ALL, THE INDIVIDUALS, THE CITIZENS, THE RESIDENTS, BUT ALSO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, THAT THEY ARE SEEING COHERENCE AND NOT JUST GETTING HIT FROM MULTIPLE ANGLES. THAT IS A COMMON CHALLENGE. THIS COMMISSION RECOMMENDED A NEW UNDERSECRETARY FOR HEALTH WITH THE MISSION OF ORGANIZING ACROSS AGENCIES TO GET THAT KIND OF SUPPORT AND COHERENCE FOR PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES. I HESITATE TO BRING UP SUCH A BIG TOPIC. IT'S OBVIOUSLY NOT ON THE AGENDA FOR THIS WEEK AND WE ARE HOPING -- BUT I DO THINK THAT IT IS SOMETHING THAT -- HIV, PART OF THE MOUNTAIN WITH HIV YOU HAVE TO CLIMB SOMETIMES, WHEN THAT FALTERS -- ALTHOUGH I THINK THAT HIV IS A MODEL MORE THAN OTHER ISSUES FORGETTING THAT COORDINATION DONE. ...

VERITYVERY GOOD. THERE ARE TWO QUESTIONS HERE AND THEY WILL BE THE LAST FOUR QUESTIONS.

MY NAME IS TIFFANY AND I'VE BEEN LIVING WITH HIV FOR ABOUT 30 YEARS. I AM PART OF THAT -- [APPLAUSE] I THINK THAT IF WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HIV, WE DO HAVE TO ADDRESS PEOPLE WHO ARE AGING WITH HIV. WE WERE LINKING PEOPLE TO CARE AND PEOPLE LOST TO CARE, AND WE ENDED UP LOSING THE FUNDING AFTER ABOUT 10 YEARS, AND A LOT OF THE PEOPLE WHO WERE LOST TO CARE, WE LOST TO THEM. I'M NOT SAYING IT'S ANYONE'S FAULT, BUT I ALWAYS SAY THAT THE CURE IS IN THE ROOM, -- THE CURE IS IN THE ROOM. BACK THEN PEOPLE WERE GETTING PCB AND WE WERE FIGHTING FOR THEM TO LIVE. NOW WE HAVE THE MEDICATION AND WE CANNOT GET THEM OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY. MY QUESTION IS IF THIS CDC OR HRSA HAS A SOMEONE WHO CAN COME TO US VS. US COMING TO YOU ALL, BECAUSE I HAVE MY OWN ORGANIZATION BUT I ALSO HAVE TO WORK TO LIVE, I'M A SCHOOLTEACHER. MY HUSBAND GOT A KIDNEY TRANSPLANT LAST YEAR THROUGH THE OPEN PROGRAM. THERE IS A LOT OF COMORBIDITIES WE ARE DEALING WITH. YOU GUYS SHOW UP AND THEY ARE AFRAID BECAUSE THEY ARE SCARED OF GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. WE KNOW WHAT TO DO, WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE FUNDING TO DO IT. IS THERE ANYWAY WAY WE COULD GET LIAISONS TO COME TO US? I KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT GRANT WRITING, BUT I DON'T KNOW A LOT. A LOT OF WHAT WE GET WE GET THROUGH PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES OR GRANTS THAT ARE LIKE NON--- THEY ARE NOT GOVERNMENT GRANTS. I JUST WANTED TO COMMEND YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. [APPLAUSE] ...

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR QUESTION YOUR NEW COMMENT. I SAW YOU SHOW YOUR TESTIMONY -- SHARE YOUR TESTIMONY. YOU HAVE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE FUND FOR CAPACITY BUILDING AND WE HEAR SO OFTEN WHEN WE GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY THAT SMALLER COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS NEED THAT SUPPORT FOR GRANT WRITING. THAT IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING I WILL TAKE BACK TO THEAND HOW AS WE THINK OF NEW NOTICES OF FUNDING THAT CAN BE INTEGRATED TO HELP SUPPORT THE ...

GRANT WRITING THAT IS NEEDED >> THE REAUTHORIZATION OF THE OLDER AMERICANS ACT IS COMING UP NEXT YEAR, AND NMAC IS PUTTING TOGETHER A PANEL, WE JUST SENT OUT AN INVITATION YESTERDAY, OR MAYBE TUESDAY, TO GET TOGETHER GROUPS TO TALK ABOUT HOW DO WE WANT, WHAT ARE OUR ASKS FOR THE REAUTHORIZATION OF THE OAA. BECAUSE THE AGING COMMUNITY IS NOW THE MAJORITY OF AMERICANS LIVING WITH HIV. SO IT'S VERY MUCH ON THE MINDS OF ADVOCATES. WE KNOW THAT. IT'S JUST NOW HONING IN ON, HONING IN AND BALANCING, RIGHT? BALANCING THE CURRENT CONGRESS WITH WHAT WE THINK WE COULD GET AND THEN HONING IN ON A SPECIFIC ASK TO ADDRESS NOT ONLY THE GRANTS BUT THE CARE FOR SENIORS AND OLDER AMERICANS LIVING WITH HIV. ...

OK. NEXT QUESTION. WHO'S GOT THE MIC? HI.

HI, MAYA. GOOD TO SEE YOU.

YOU, TOO.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS. I HAVE A QUESTION. SO, WHAT I'VE HEARD IS THE DISPARITIES THAT ARE IN ALMOST EVERY SECTOR OF OUR NATION. THAT IS SO GREAT IN WHO IS EXPERIENCING HIV AND WHAT SERVICES OR LACK THEREOF THEY ARE RECEIVING. MY QUESTION IS, IF WE CANNOT LET THAT RACE -- LOOK AT RACE AND WHAT MY NIECE OR WHATNOT, IS PROVIDED FOR GRANTS AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. ESSENTIALLY -- SINCE WE KNOW THAT THE BASE, A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT SERVE PEOPLE OF COLOR, ESPECIALLY BLACK PEOPLE, ARE NOT NECESSARY LED BY BLACK PEOPLE AND WE KNOW THAT, AND THE HISTORY OF IT IS THAT, HOW DO WE FIND EQUITY IN PROVIDING FOR THOSE ORGANIZATIONS AND THOSE GROUPS THAT ARE BEING LED BY BLACK PEOPLE SINCE THEY ARE SO -- SINCE THERE ARE SO MANY MORE OF THEM BEING IMPACTED BUT NOT RECEIVING THE PROPER SERVICES, OR ARE DISAPPEARING? HOW DO WE DO THAT WITHOUT, I DON'T KNOW, VIOLATING POLICY? OR HOW DO WE STEP BACK AND SAY POLICY SHOULD BE FOR EQUITY TO GET EVERYONE TO WHERE WE ARE ALL SUPPOSED TO BE? AND THEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT NOT LOOKING AT RACE AND WHATNOT. ...

SO, IF NOBODY WANTS TO TOUCH THAT, I'LL TAKE IT. DO YOU WANT TO TAKE IT?

IT'S A VERY COMPLEX QUESTION. I WILL SAY THAT. HEALTH EQUITY IN TERMS OF -- AND I UNDERSTAND THE COMPLEXITY OF NOT IDENTIFYING RACE OR NOT OVERTLY, I GUESS, IDENTIFYING RACE WHEN WE DEAL WITH FEDERAL DOLLARS. THAT WAS WHOLE INTENT OF THE MAI, RIGHT? AND THAT I THINK IS WHY WE ARE LOOKING, WELL, I BELIEVE IT IS IT IS ONE OF THE DRIVING FORCES WHY WE ARE HERE TO KEEP THOSE FINDINGS, TO KEEP THAT FUNDING IN PLACE. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY I THINK WHAT THE RECOMMENDATION IS IS JUST BE -- JUST HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE POLITICS OF IT RIGHT NOW IN TODAY'S DAY AND AGE, AND KNOWING WHEN TO PULL BACK AND JUST TRY TO -- IN OTHER WORDS, A WIN SOMETIMES IS KEEPING THE STATUS QUO, RIGHT? UO, RIGHT? AND UNTIL THE POLITICAL CLIMATE CHANGES AND PERHAPS EVEN THE COURT CHANGES, I THINK THEN YOU CAN REALLY DRIVE IN TO THE RACIAL FACTORS OF FEDERAL FUNDING. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS A TIME TO DO THAT. ...

YEAH, I JUST WANT AT COME THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION AND FOR THE PREVIOUS QUESTION. I WILL ONLY SAY THAT WE NEED TO WORK HARD TO ELECT INDIVIDUALS THAT UNDERSTAND THAT THE PATH FOR EQUITY IS THAT. THE U.S. HAS BEEN CHANGING. LOOK SINCE 1990 CENSUS DATA, ALL THE WAY TO THE LAST ONE IN 2020. I CHALLENGE THAT WE WON THE ELECTION OF THE LEVEL TO UNDERSTAND THAT A DIVERSITY IS ITS STRENGTH BUT ALSO A CHALLENGE TO CREATE WILL, TO SHAPE POLICY AND ESPECIALLY PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY THAT WILL ADDRESS THE REALITIES THAT WE FACE ON THE GRANT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION. ...

AND I JUST WANT TO SAY AND WHAT ACTUALLY TO WRAP UP BECAUSE THE NEXT CONVERSATION IS ABOUT THIS ISSUE. HOW DO YOU ACTUALLY GET TO EQUITY, GIVEN THE CURRENT CLIMATE? HOW DO YOU DO EQUITY IN THE FACE OF ANTI-AFFIRMATIVE ACTION LAWS AND SENTIMENT? AND ANOTHER JEFF CROWLEY IS GOING TO TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, A COMPELLING GOVERNMENTAL INTEREST NARROWLY TAILORED SOLUTION SO WE'LL GET TO THAT IN THE NEXT CONVERSATION. SO LET'S GET A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THIS EXCELLENT PANEL. [APPLAUSE] ...

I WOULD LIKE TO SAY JUST ONE THING, MAYA. WHEN YOU MAKE SHOULD BE IN SAME BREATH AS YOUR HUSBAND, I PROBABLY SHOULD SESAME RIGHT AWAY BUT HE ALWAYS GET A LITTLE OVERWHELMED WENT WHEN THAT COME ANY MENTION OF ME WITH CONGRESSMAN CUMMINGS COMES UP. I JUST WANTED TO SAY HOW MUCH HE WOULD'VE APPRECIATED THIS DISCUSSION. ...

IN IN FACT, YOU'LL SHOULD KNOW THAT ACTUALLY HE WAS THE FIRST MEMBER OF CONGRESS TO ACTUALLY GRANT ME AT INTERVIEW FOR MY DISSERTATION BACK IN 1998. AND THAT IS HOW WE MET, THROUGH THIS INITIATIVE. [APPLAUSE] SO, YEAH. SO AGAIN, A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR AUDIENCE AND THEN WE WOULD GO TO THE NEXT PANEL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. [APPLAUSE] [INAUDIBLE CONVERSATIONS] ...

WE ARE MOVING RIGHT TO OUR NEXT SESSION. SO -- IT IS NOW MY HONOR AND A LIGHT TO WELCOME TO THE STATE AND INTRODUCE TO YOU ARE FIRESIDE CHAT PARTICIPANTS. AS A CALL INTRODUCE EACH ONE I ASK YOU TO COME TO THE STAGE. THE FIRST PERSON IS OUR COMMENTATOR JAHMAL SIMAS. HE WILL SERVE AS A HOST FOR TODAY'S CHAT. A LONGTIME COMMUNICATIONS PROFESSIONAL, INVESTMENT CAMPING OPERATIVE WHO ARE SINCE WORK WITH CLINTON, GORE, AND OBAMA, JAMAL MOST WEAKLY SERVED AS DEPUTY ASSISTANT TO PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN AND A COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR TO VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS. HE ALSO HAS WORKED AS POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR FOR CBS NEWS AND NPR AND IS HOSTED DIGITAL INTERVIEWS. FOR ALMOST A DECADE HE HAS WORKED AS PRINCIPAL AT THE GROUP OR HE ADVISED CORPORATE POLITICAL AND FOUNDATIONAL LEADERS. WELCOME, COMMENTATOR JAMAL SIMMONS. [APPLAUSE] AND JOINING JAMAL ONSTAGE FOR OUR FIRESIDE CHAT GUESTS INCLUDING LORI WHO IS A SENIOR GOVERNMENT RELATIONS COUNCIL AT KELLY DRIVE WITH MORE THAN A QUARTER OF THE CENTURY WORKING IN AND AROUND CAPITOL HILL. LAURA HAS SERVED AS CHIEF OF STAFF TO SENATOR RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, AS LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR FOR SENATOR KELLY RODHAM CLINTON, FROM 2005-2008, AND AS A LEGISLATIVE ASSISTANT, AND IS A LEGISLATIVE ASSISTANT TO THE LATE SENATOR JOHN CHAFFEE. MORE RECENTLY, SHE SERVED AS SPECIAL COUNSEL TO THE CITY JUDICIARY COMMITTEE FOR THE NOMINATION OF BRETT KAVANAUGH TO THE SUPREME COURT. WELCOME, LORI. [APPLAUSE] OUR NEXT FIRESIDE CHAT GUEST IS ALFONSO DAVID WAS A CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY, LGBTQ+ ACTIVIST AND THE CURRENT PRESIDENT AND CEO OF GLOBAL BLACK ECONOMIC FORUM. THIS IS AN ORGANIZATION WORKING TO SERVE AND ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF OF THE ECONOMIC NEEDS OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY. PRIOR TO JOINING THE GLOBAL BLACK ECONOMIC FORUM, ALPHONSE WAS A PRESENT OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN WHICH IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT STRIVES TO END DISCRIMINATION AGAINST LGBTQ+ PEOPLE AND REALIZABLE THAT ACHIEVES FUNDAMENTAL FAIRNESS AND EQUITY AND EQUALITY FOR ALL. IN 2015, HE WAS APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR ANDREW CUOMO TO SERVICE THE COUNSEL TO THE GOVERNOR. IN THIS ROLE HE FUNCTION AS OF THE GOVERNORS CHIEF COUNSEL AND OF PRINCIPAL LEGAL ADVISOR AND OVERSAW ALL SIGNIFICANT LEGAL AND POLICY RELATIONS AFFECTING NEW YORK STATE. OUR FINAL BUT NOT LEAST FIRE CHAT GUEST IS PROFESSOR JEFFREY CROWLEY. HE'S A DISTINGUISHED SCHOLAR AND PROGRAM DIRECTOR OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE INITIATIVES AT GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW, SCHOOL OF LAW ON YOUR INSTITUTE INSTITUTE OF GLOBAL HEALTH LAW. I WIDELY RECOGNIZED EXPERT ON HIV/AIDS AND DISABILITY POLICY. HE HAS SERVED AS THE DIRECTOR OF THE WHITE HOUSE OFFICE OF NATIONAL AIDS POLICY AND SENIOR ADVISOR ON DISABILITY POLICY FOR PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA. IN THIS CAPACITY HE LED THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR COUNTRY'S FIRST DOMESTIC NATIONAL HIV/AIDS STRATEGY FOR THE UNITED STATES PICS IN SEPTEMBER 2019 HE WAS APPOINTED TO THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCE AND MEDICINE COMMITTEE ON THE PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIOUS IN THE UNITED STATES. I WILL NOW TURN IT OVER TO JAMAL. ...

THANK YOU, THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE]

KENYA HEMI? THERE WE GO. ALL RIGHT. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE AND WANT TO THANK MAYA AND THE CENTER FOR HEALTH DISPARITY FOR HAVING ME AND HAVING OUR PANEL HERE. JUST AS A WAY TO OPEN, IN THE WAY WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS ROLE OF A AGENCY, TALK WITH SOME OF THE NUMBERS IN HOW THIS DISEASE HAS MOVED THROUGH COMMITTEES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. IN THE LATE 1980s THE CITY OF DETROIT WHICH IS WHERE I AM FROM DECIDED THAT IT WAS GOING TO START GIVING HIV EDUCATION TO PREMARITAL COUPLES. FACE-OFF THAT AS A WAY TO GET REAL INFORMATION INTO THE HANDS OF EVERYDAY CITIZENS, AND PEOPLE WHO ARE TRUSTED PARTS OF COMMITTEES, CAPTIVE POPULATION SO IN ORDER TO GET A A SLICE IT ISN'T HIV TRAINING COURSE. THE SUMMER AFTER MY SOPHOMORE YEAR I WAS 18, 19 YEARS OLD, I WAS HIRED TO BE AN EDUCATOR FOR THESE PREMARITAL COUPLES WHO WERE ALL IN THERE, YOU KNOW, /20(L1)S(L0)/'20(L1)S(L0), 30s, SOMETIMES /40(L1)S(L0)/'40(L1)S(L0), WHO ARE ABOUT TO GET MARRIED. SO VERY OFTEN I GET ASKED HOW DID YOU GET COMFORTABLE BEING ON TELEVISION OR HAVE THESE ARGUMENTS WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE SOMETIMES WHEN I FIRST ARE DOING JUST ABOUT ALL THE JEWS AND A LOT MORE EXPERIENCE? THE FIRST THING I THINK OF OTHER THAN MY FAMILY TABLE THAT I GREW UP IN IS, IF YOU CAN DO A CONDOM DEMONSTRATION ON YOUR TWO FINGERS IN FRONT OF 30-YEAR-OLDS WHEN YOU'RE 19 COME YOU CAN KIND OF HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH ANYBODY ABOUT ANYTHING. AND SO THAT'S HOW I CAME INTO THIS WORKER SO IT'S BEEN A PART OF MY LIFE AND FAMILY MEMBERS OF ALSO BEEN AFFECTED BY THE FIRES. HAVE BEEN PART OF MY LIFE SINCE MOST OF MY LIFE. I WANT TO START WITH YOU JEFF. MIGHT GET SOME OF THIS AND A LESBIAN BUT IF WE HOPE FOR US HAVE STABLE PLAY, WHERE ARE WE TODAY ON THE WORLD A TODAY IN TERMS OF THE VIRUS AND DISEASE AND HOW IT IS AFFECTING DIFFERENT COMMITTEES DISPROPORTIONALLY? ...

SO I THINK WE SOME MAJOR CHALLENGES BUT WE ALSO NEED TO RECOGNIZE THE HUGE SUCCESS WE HAD IN THE 1980s THERE WAS BUT WILL BE AT 130, 140,000 NEW INFECTIONS YOU. THAT WERE LOW IN LOW 2000sBELOW 30,000 TO YOU. MAJOR PROGRESS. WE FOR FOR THE SHARE OF THE EPIDEMIC COMPRISED OF PEOPLE OF COLOR IS GROWING. THAT'S DEEPLY PROBLEMATIC BUT WERE ALSO MAKING PROGRESS ACROSS ALL RACIAL GROUPS ETHNIC GROUPS. THERE'S A QUESTION ABOUT THE RYAN WHITE PROGRAM, AND WE TODAY A RELEASING A BRIEF A BLACK WOMEN HIV. IT HAS A LIMITED DISPARITIES THAT VIRUS SUPPRESSION AMONG ALL PEOPLE AND RYAN WHITE PROGRAM I THINK IT'S LIKE 89.7%. VIRAL SUPPRESSION OF BLACK WOMEN IS 89%. FOR CISGENDER BLACK WOMEN IS 89%. FOR CISGENDER BLACK WOMEN IS 86% FOR BLACK TRANSGENDER PEOPLE. THOSE DISPARATE AS MATTY AVENUE FIGHT THOSE BUT IT'S NOT WHEN WE HEARD EARLIER ABOUT PrEP UPTAKE IS 13%-94%.I THINK 4%. I THINK WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THE PROGRESS WE'RE MAKING AND RECOGNIZE THAT MEANS POLICY EDITED REALLY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE WHEN IT FOCUS ON THAT. ...