The George Washington University Partners with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a project to reduce that risk and help end the HIV epidemic
WASHINGTON (Nov. 29, 2021)—A quarter of new HIV infections in the United States occur among Latinos, a disproportionately high rate, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A new project by the George Washington University in partnership with the University of Puerto Rico and the CDC hopes to protect Latinos from this serious health threat.
“There is a critical need to end the HIV epidemic in the United States, particularly among populations at disproportionate risk for infection,” Carlos Rodriguez-Diaz, an associate professor and principal investigator of the project at the GW Milken Institute School of Public Health, said. “This project aims to reduce HIV stigma and increase awareness, prevention and treatment among Latinos.”
The new project will develop partnerships with organizations in 10 U.S. jurisdictions, hotspots where most of the HIV infections among Latinos are reported. The 10 jurisdictions are located in Arkansas, California, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Texas and Washington, DC.
Many Latinos do not realize they are at high risk for HIV and the project will implement HIV awareness among this population, including communities where many people speak Spanish, Rodriguez-Diaz said. In addition, the partners will help get Latinos with HIV into treatment and reduce the risk of new infections with proven prevention strategies.
The CDC supported the 5-year project with a $900,000 grant as part of the Partnering and Communicating Together (PACT) program. The purpose of the PACT project is to help end the HIV epidemic in the United States by focusing on high-risk populations.