While combatting HIV and AIDS is undeniably a gigantic task, the political leaders of New York are apparently up for the challenge revealing of plans for ending the HIV and AIDS crisis in the state in as little as six years.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo revealed an ambitious plan for New York to become the first state in the U.S. to end the three decade HIV and AIDS crisis by 2020. On Sunday, June 29, Cuomo unveiled a plan to "bend the curve" and reduce the number of HIV infection in the state to below epidemic levels.
The plan focuses on boosting HIV testing, improving measures to prevent the spread of the disease as well as providing better treatments for infected individuals. The state has, in fact, already came up with several measures for the successful implementation of these objectives.
The state Department of Health has already discussed with three companies that produce HIV drugs namely AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Gilead for rebates which would make it easier for the state to ensure that HIV-infected individuals receive appropriate medication. New York is also taking steps to make testing easier allowing HIV tests to be conducted without the written informed consent. The state is likewise boosting the accessibility to "pre-exposure" drugs that can help individuals who have elevated risks for HIV avoid infection.
New York currently has about 3,000 individuals diagnosed with HIV per year. In 1993, it has 14,000 newly diagnosed AIDS cases. The primary objective of the Cuomo administration's plan is to reduce the state's incidence of new HIV infection to 750 by 2020.
"New York State has reached an important milestone in controlling the AIDS epidemic, and through this comprehensive strategy, we are decreasing new HIV infections to the point where by 2020, the number of persons living with HIV in New York State will be reduced for the first time," Governor Cuomo said.
Although the governor did not provide an estimate on how much the plan to eradicate AIDS and HIV infection would cost, he said that it could end up saving the state over $300 million annually by 2020 by reducing the cost that the state incurs for the medical care of HIV-infected individuals.
HIV infection remains prevalent worldwide. In the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that over 1.1 million individuals who are at least 13 years old have HIV infection, nearly 181,000 of whom do not know they have the infection. In 2010, over 15,000 people in the U.S. died because of AIDS.
