Friday, October 22, 2010

Needle Exchange Credited with Reduced HIV Infection Rates in Delaware

The number of new HIV infections in Delaware has fallen from over 300 a year to about 155 in the past decade, and the state's pilot needle exchange program deserves some credit, according to the Delaware Division of Public Health.

Jim Dickinson of DPH made this statement at yesterday's meeting of the Delaware HIV Planning Council. As of September 30, there were 101 newly identified HIV cases in Delaware during 2010. In addition to needle exchange, improved education and outreach programs may also be contributing to the decrease, Dickinson said.

Also at Thursday's meeting, the Council heard from James Albino, senior program manager for the Office of National AIDS Policy, about the White House's national strategy to reduce new infections by 25% over the next 5 years. The strategy incorporates prevention, increased access to medical care, reduction of stigma, and increasing coordination.

Read the full article here.

1 comment:

Basha said...

Thanks for posting this Matt. Thanks to the amazing BCCS Outreach team we are making a meaningful impact on the fight to end HIV.