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On March 14, 2012, at the White House's Intersection of
***/AIDS, Violence Against Women and Gender-related
Health Disparities Event the newly announced
Office of National AIDS Policy Director, Dr. Grant Colfax
spoke on a variety of topics.
Well Good Morning. It is a tremendous honor to serve
as the Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy.
This is a transformative time for *** prevention and care.
Recent research breakthroughs in testing and treatment
mean that a future AIDS-free generation is a real possibility.
This is truly amazing – given where we were not so long ago.
I’m grateful that my first day on the job includes
this commemoration of National Women and Girls
***/AIDS Awareness Day - highlighting this administration’s
ongoing commitment to this issue.
With nearly a quarter of the new *** cases
in the United States occurring among women,
it is clear that to get to an AIDS-free generation,
we must address the ***-related needs
among women and girls.
To that end, I’m committed to continuing ONAP’s
productive work with our federal, community
and private partners to realize the goals
of the National ***/AIDS Strategy of reducing new *** infections,
improving health outcomes for persons living with ***,
and reducing *** related disparities.
On a more personal note, as a gay man,
a healthcare provider and someone who guided
implementation of *** prevention efforts at the local level,
I will ensure that the voices of persons living with ***
and those at high risk of *** infection
are at the front and center of our work every day.
It is only through listening to these voices
that we will be able to develop and scale effective,
gender appropriate *** prevention and care interventions.
Today’s meeting and formation of the work groups
represent our ongoing commitment to address
*** among women and girls as do multiple federal activities
including the CDC’s “Take Charge, Take the Test” initiative
to increase *** testing among women,
the NIH supported WIHS study,
the longest ongoing women’s health study in the country
and the expansion of *** testing and linkage to care
for women and girls at family planning clinics.
Perhaps, most important, in 2011 alone,
the Affordable Care Act expanded coverage
of prevention services to 54 million people
including more than 20 million women.
Within this context, I’m honored to lead ONAP.
As implementation of the National Strategy continues
with the goal of realizing the President’s vision
that the United States will become a place
where new *** infections are rare, and when they do occur,
every person, regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity,
*** orientation, gender identity
or socioeconomic circumstances will have
unfettered access to high quality, life extending care,
free of stigma and discrimination.
I know that we all share this vision,
and working together we will make it a reality. Thank You.