Major Advance in HIV Surveillance Allows for More Precise Estimates of HIV
By Patricia Carter
September 29, 2008
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released Estimates of New Infections in the United States in August just prior to the political conventions.
CDC has applied this advanced technology to develop the first national surveillance system of its kind that is based on direct measurement of new HIV infections. This new system represents a major advance in HIV surveillance and allows for more precise estimates of HIV incidence (the annual number of new infections) than ever before possible.
CDC’s first estimates from this system reveal that the HIV epidemic is—and has been—worse than previously known. Results indicate that approximately 56,300 new HIV infections occurred in the United States in 2006. This figure is roughly 40 percent higher than CDC’s former estimate of 40,000 infections per year, which was based on limited data and less precise methods.
Here is what the presidential candidates said in response to the CDC’s new data:
Senator John McCain
“As President, I will work closely with non-profit, government, and private sector stakeholders to continue the fight against HIV/AIDS. By focusing efforts on reducing drug costs through greater market competition, promoting prevention efforts, encouraging testing, targeting communities with high infection rates, strengthening research and reducing disparities through effective public outreach, we as a nation can make great progress in fighting HIV/AIDS.” – statement on the CDC’s HIV/AIDS Report, August 3.
Senator Barack Obama
“These new figures should bring new focus to our efforts to address AIDS and HIV here at home. As president, I am committed to developing a National AIDS Strategy to decrease new HIV infections and improve health outcomes for Americans living with HIV/AIDS. Across the nation, we also need to prevent the spread of HIV and get people into treatment by expanding access to testing and comprehensive education programs. This report also demonstrates the need for more timely data about HIV transmission so that we can effectively evaluate prevention efforts. Combating HIV/AIDS also demands closing the gaps in opportunity that exist in our society so that we can strengthen our public health. We must also overcome the stigma that surrounds HIV/AIDS - a stigma that is too often tied to homophobia. We need to encourage folks to get tested and accelerate HIV/AIDS research toward an effective cure because we have a moral obligation to join together to meet this challenge, and to do so with the urgency this epidemic demands.” – statement on the CDC’s HIV/AIDS Report, August 3.
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