It has been more than two decades since beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Since that time, over 60 million people worldwide have become infected, including more than 20 million who have already died. In the U.S., nearly half a million Americans have already died and almost one million more are currently estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS. The multiple threats posed by the epidemic have led to both domestic and global responses that have produced some significant progress. However, the HIV/AIDS epidemic continues to present serious public policy challenges to lawmakers at all levels of government, as well as community members, advocates, people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS, and others.
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, an independent philanthropy focusing on the major health care issues facing the nation today, has conducted a Capitol Hill Briefing Series and developed materials designed to provide policymakers with up-to-date information on the state of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and to allow for an interchange of ideas with experts in the field. The Briefing Series is a bi-partisan effort. Topics to date have included
The State of the Epidemic. What has been the course of the epidemic? Where is it going? What has been the Federal response to date? (April 3, 2000)
Research. What are the latest advances in AIDS research? Are new treatments on the way? What progress have we made in the search for an AIDS vaccine? (June 2, 2000)
Financing HIV/AIDS Care. How do the 800,000 to 900,000 Americans living with HIV get their insurance coverage? What role does private insurance play? What role do Medicaid and Medicare play? And how does the Ryan White CARE Act fill the holes in this insurance safety net? (October 27, 2000).
Women and HIV/AIDS. This briefing examines the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on women, the challenges facing health care providers in serving women with HIV/AIDS, and highlights the experiences of a woman living with HIV/AIDS. (May 2, 2001).
Latinos and HIV/AIDS in the United States. Latinos in the United States have been disproportionately affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. They account for a greater proportion of new HIV infections and AIDS cases than their representation in the U.S. population overall. The Kaiser Family Foundation has conducted two Capitol Hill briefings on the Impact of HIV/AIDS on Latinos in the U.S. March 2002 and July 2003.
Products from each briefing will be available here:
Latinos and HIV/AIDS in the United States, July 2003
(briefing materials) - Agenda
- Webcast of the briefing
- Presentation: Latinos and HIV/AIDS by Jennifer Kates, M.A., M.P.A., Kaiser Family Foundation
- Presentation by Donald Torres, New Mexico Department of Health
- Presentation: Immigration/Migration Issues: State & Community Perspectives by Filipe Rocha, Texas Department of Health
- Presentation by Catalina Sol, La Clinicia Del Pueblo, Washington, DC
- Presentation by Leo Rennie, Director of HIV Prevention Program, NASTAD
- Fact Sheet: Latinos and HIV/AIDS
- Key Facts: Latinos and HIV/AIDS
- News Release: NASTAD Releases its New Report Addressing HIV/AIDS… Latino Perspectives and Policy Recommendations
- Report: Addressing HIV/AIDS: Latino Perspectives and Policy Recommendations from the National Association of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD)
Latinos and HIV/AIDS in the United States, March 2002
(briefing materials) - Agenda
- Speaker Biographies
- Webcast of the Briefing
- Latinos and HIV/AIDS:Presentation by Jennifer Kates, M.A., M.P.A., Kaiser Family Foundation
- Testimony to Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, "LATINOS AND HIV/AIDS IN THE UNITED STATES: Capitol Hill Briefing on the Epidemic of the Latino Community and Challenges in Reducing its Impact," by Charlene Doria-Ortiz, Executive Director, Center for Health Policy Development, Inc. (CHPD).
- Latinos and HIV/AIDS: Presentation by Daniel Montoya, Director of Government Affairs, AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA).
- Critical Challenges in the Third Decade of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic (Policy Brief)
- Latinos Views of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic at 20 Years: Findings from a National Survey
- Key Facts: Latinos and HIV/AIDS
- Public Education Campaign to Inform Latinos About HIV and Other Sexual Health Issues
Women and HIV/AIDS: Overlooked and Underserved, May 2001
(briefing materials) Financing HIV/AIDS Care: A Quilt with Many Holes, October 2000
(briefing materials) HIV/AIDS Research: Successes Bring New Challenges, June 2000
(briefing materials) - HIV/AIDS Research: Successes Bring New Challenges: Issue Brief
The State of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in America, April 2000
(briefing materials)
