Rutgers partners with health department to end HIV epidemic

NJBIZ - 12/21/2018

In a move designed to end the HIV epidemic by 2025, the New Jersey Department of Health is joining forces with the Rutgers School of Public Health and more than 780 organizations nationwide, to support the global Undetectable = Untransmittable campaign.In a move designed to end the HIV epidemic by 2025, the New Jersey Department of Health is joining forces with the Rutgers School of Public Health and more than 780 organizations nationwide, to support the global Undetectable = Untransmittablecampaign.

Rutgers has been increasing awareness about the effectiveness of HIV medications in preventing the sexual transmission of HIV as part of the U=U campaign launched in 2016 by the Prevention Access Campaign.

“There is effectively no risk of sexual transmission of HIV when people living with disease are taking HIV medications as prescribed and have achieved and maintained an undetectable amount of the virus in the body,” said Perry Halkitis, dean, Rutgers School of Public Health, in a statement. “Partnering with the NJDOH is a huge step in ending HIV/AIDs in New Jersey by 2025 through awareness, outreach and scientific collaboration, rooted in the needs of those most impacted by the virus.”

The NJDOH vowed to work with partners to promote testing and link individuals with treatment and HIV medications that are effective in preventing transmission of the virus. Additionally, NJDOH and Rutgers School of Public Health are working to spread awareness about U=U science and encourage stakeholders and other agencies to promote the campaign.

“Scientific advances in HIV care and treatment are game-changers that can get us to the vision of a future in which new HIV infections are rare,” said Dr. Shereef Elnahal, NJDOH commissioner, in a statement. “In New Jersey, the rate of new HIV cases has declined 39 percent in nearly a decade because of success in getting people tested for HIV and linked to treatment.”

CREDIT: Anthony Vecchione