Imagine: Ending HIV. It’s Possible. is the name of a new, national campaign that launched this summer to encourage and energize the HIV workforce to achieve the national goal of ending the HIV epidemic.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services introduced the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. (EHE) initiative in 2019 to broaden HIV prevention and treatment strategies and achieve a 90 percent reduction of new HIV infections. However, the COVID-19 pandemic pulled in many HIV specialists for emergency COVID-19 response efforts, as those hardest hit by the pandemic are many of the same communities disproportionately affected by HIV.
The #ImagineEndingHIV campaign is designed to inspire and motivate local health department leaders, their teams, and partners from 47 EHE jurisdictions funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s HIV/AIDS Bureau (HRSA HAB) to implement innovative interventions along the HIV care continuum. Campaign resources including videos, fact sheets, and shareable social media content promote HIV intervention strategies known to be effective. The products are intended to support the EHE efforts and boost localized campaigns of those working in the HIV field. Some examples are:
- The Radical Customer Service model campaign video suggests ways providers can be more responsive to clients’ unique needs. For example, to retain more people with HIV in treatment and help them attain viral suppression, clinics need to accommodate clients who may not be able to take time off during their working hours for medical appointments.
- The Rapid ART model video highlights the importance of hospital emergency departments connecting patients testing positive for HIV with a navigator to guide them into treatment immediately and address other needs such as food and housing access. The program also provides mobile phones to help schedule future medical appointments.
The campaign is funded by the Technical Assistance Provider-innovation network (TAP-in) of HRSA HAB. The TAP-in project supports the 47 HAB EHE recipients by providing peer-to-peer consultation and promoting evidence-based strategies across jurisdictions via national webinars, learning collaboratives, and individual coaching so the jurisdictions can achieve next-level outcomes for people whose needs are not met by the current system of care.
Visit TargetHIV.org/Imagine for newly developed resources and more information about the Imagine: Ending HIV. It’s Possible. campaign.
Learn about how some EHE jurisdictions have integrated the Imagine: Ending HIV. It's Possible. campaign to recruit staff and connect with community champions.