World AIDS Day was observed on Thursday, December 1, 2016, with events and activities held across D.C. and around the world in support of persons with HIV. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of AIDS Research (OAR) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) held a joint event in observance of World AIDS Day to highlight the past and ongoing work to fight the HIV epidemic in the District.
The event featured talks from five investigators whose work has focused on the epidemic in Washington, D.C. Alan Greenberg, MD, MPH, DC CFAR Director, opened the day with a talk entitled, "Transformation of the HIV Landscape in Washington D.C.: Impact of NIH and D.C. Department of Health Investments in Academic-Public Health Partnerships over the Past Decade". Dr. Greenberg was followed by DC CFAR investigator, Amanda Castel, MD, MPH, who spoke on "Identifying Gaps and Developing Effective Strategies to Improve HIV Prevention, Care, and Treatment in Washington, D.C.". Victoria Cargill, MD, MSCE, Director of Minority Research and Clinical Studies Acting Chair with the Therapeutics Coordinating Committee Office of AIDS Research at NIH, discussed "Improving the Odds: Tracking Who is Dropping Out of HIV Care - Why and What Can We Do?". Lastly, Michael Kharfen, Senior Deputy Director with the D.C. Department of Health and DC CFAR Executive Committee member, and Henry Masur, MD, Chief of Critical Care Medicine Department Clinical Center at the NIH, gave remarks on the "D.C. Partnership for AIDS Progress: Harnessing the Power of Partnerships in Response to the D.C. AIDS Epidemic." The DC CFAR was grateful to the NIH for this opportunity to highlight the strong, city-wide research partnerships in D.C. which are a critical component of the local epidemic response.
Click here for more information on World AIDS Day 2016.