DHHS unveils plan to reduce HIV infections 90% by 2030

With Sunday marking the 37th annual World AIDS Day, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) released its plan Monday to cut HIV infections by 90% by 2030, saying it will implement new approaches and scale up prevention and treatment strategies.

HIV, short for human immunodeficiency virus, attacks the body’s immune system, with advanced stages of infection leading to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS.

While the first World AIDS Day was held in 1988 to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS and to honor the lives lost to the epidemics, DHHS notes that HIV continues to be a major global and public health concern, with 696 people in Michigan receiving an HIV diagnosis in 2023, and 18,437  Michiganders living with HIV at the end of 2023. 

Developed with four years of community engagement and input and aligning with national and global initiatives to end the HIV epidemic and the state’s goal to address disparities in care for HIV and disparate health outcomes, the departments plans has four goals: 

• Increase the number of people tested for HIV and sexually transmitted infections statewide.
• Increase retention of people with HIV receiving ongoing care.
• Increase pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)  referrals among eligible people who test negative for HIV.
• Increase capacity and implementation of activities for detecting and responding to HIV networks and outbreaks.

“Stopping new HIV infections and ensuring people living with HIV have access to the best possible care is attainable with the right resources, increased diagnoses and proven treatment strategies,” DHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel said in a statement. “We must also work to reduce HIV-related stigma, which continues to create barriers to receiving support. Everyone deserves the opportunity to live a healthy life, free from shame and with access to the care they need.”

Information on the plan and how to access services can be found at Michigan.gov/EndHIV.