Addressing the HIV/AIDS Epidemic at Home and Abroad: Short-Term Policy Options Under Consideration by the New Administration and Congress

This past summer, the United States government’s global HIV/AIDS program was reauthorized and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new data indicating that the epidemic at home was worse than previously thought. These events called significant attention to HIV/AIDS and together present the new Administration and Congress with an opportunity to address the epidemic at home and abroad.

Several short-term HIV-specific policy options have already been proposed for consideration, or are under consideration, by the new Administration and Congress. This brief provides an overview of some of these options, as put forward by non-governmental organizations and by President Obama. It is not, however, meant to be inclusive of all proposed options nor does it address any broader, non HIV-specific policy changes that are also underway – namely, national health care reform and foreign aid reform – although such efforts will undoubtedly have significant implications for the government’s response to HIV.

Issue Brief (.pdf)