WP 1 Status Update on CDC-Funded PS 12-1201 Category C Demonstration Projects: HIV Testing, Linkage to Care, and Partner Services

Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Pre-function Lobby (M2)
John Beltrami, MD, MPH&TM, FACPM1, Chandra Felton, PhD, MS1, Ted Castellanos, MPH1, Ted Duncan, PhD2 and Erica Dunbar, MPH1, 1Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Prevention Program Branch, CDC, Atlanta, GA, 2Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Capacity Building Branch, CDC, Atlanta, GA

Background: Under Category C of the PS 12-1201 Comprehensive HIV Prevention Programs Funding Opportunity Announcement, CDC funds 30 health departments who conduct their own High Impact HIV Prevention (HIP) demonstration projects during 2012-2014. We provide a status update of results and challenges that relate to HIV testing, linkage to HIV medical care, and Partner Services (PS).

Methods: Data are based on project applications, Interim and Annual Progress Reports, conference calls and email communications between CDC and grantees, and CDC site visits through September 2013. We categorize project status as planning/implementing or implemented with results and present aggregated results and challenges. 

Results: Of the 30 grantees, 28 focus on at least one activity specific to HIV testing, linkage, or PS: 17 conduct HIV testing, of whom 7 (41%) reported results; 24 conduct linkage, of whom 11 (46%) reported results; and 6 conduct PS, of whom 2 (33%) reported results. From the 7 grantees with HIV testing results, 0.5% (40/7,890) of persons tested were newly diagnosed with HIV. From the 11 grantees with linkage results, 78% (955/1,222) of newly diagnosed or out-of-care HIV-infected person were linked to HIV medical care. From the 2 grantees with PS results, 292 partners were named, of whom 146 were tested; of these 146 partners, 14% (21/146) were newly diagnosed with HIV. From these 28 grantees, the most frequently reported challenges were hiring, staffing, or staff turnover (n=15), delayed federal or state funding (n=12), IT problems (n=5), and data sharing (n=4).      

Conclusions: Progress has occurred, but many grantees have experienced challenges with project implementation. Grantees behind schedule should focus on the highest priority HIP activities and seek any needed technical assistance. Grantees on schedule with successful demonstration projects should consider how their work could help routine HIV prevention activities and further advance HIP.