Cuts to HIV research funding in the US impacts progress towards ending the epidemic

1 month ago

How will nan Trump administration's cuts to HIV investigation effect nan advancement that's been made towards ending nan pandemic successful nan U.S.?

PIEN HUANG, HOST:

During his first term, President Trump laid retired a bold connection during a State of nan Union address.

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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: My fund will inquire Democrats and Republicans to make nan needed committedness to destruct nan HIV pandemic successful nan United States wrong 10 years. We person made unthinkable strides, incredible.

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HUANG: The Trump administration's extremity of eliminating HIV successful nan U.S. led to a swell of investigation and backing to study nan virus. But successful nan opening months of his 2nd term, nan Trump management slashed thousands of Public Health jobs and gutted backing for technological research, including grants and costs for HIV and AIDS research. What does this mean for nan early of HIV investigation successful nan U.S.? Dr. John Brooks is nan erstwhile main aesculapian serviceman to nan CDC's section of HIV prevention, and he joins maine now. Dr. Brooks, invited to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.

JOHN BROOKS: Well, Pien, convey you. It's a pleasance to beryllium here, and I admit your attraction to this issue.

HUANG: So first of all, tin you springiness america a consciousness of wherever HIV investigation stood earlier these cuts?

BROOKS: Well, you know, HIV investigation has been successful spot since nan find of nan microorganism arsenic nan origin of precocious HIV disease, which we utilized to telephone AIDS. And it's, you know, made unthinkable strides. We are now astatine a place, owed to accordant backing done mostly national support, that's discovered astonishing narcotics that tin thief america some dainty HIV to support a personification patient but besides to forestall HIV.

HUANG: Were location immoderate treatments that we were benignant of - you know, you're talking astir treatments that person been developed and are retired location moving for people. Was location thing besides that was successful nan useful that we haven't rather gotten to yet?

BROOKS: Yeah, truthful a mates of very important things. First of all, location has been a decadeslong pursuit of an HIV vaccine, and that research, arsenic good arsenic investigation for an HIV cure, appears to person been canceled. That was mostly investigation funded by nan NIH. A vaccine would beryllium unthinkable if we could person it - tremendous nationalist wellness impact, gigantic economical benefits, arsenic good arsenic nan technological advancements it will supply and has provided successful nan past. Ditto for an HIV cure. Secondly, nan measurement that we tin springiness group medicine, some to dainty their infection and to protect group from getting infected, are advancing very rapidly. A caller drug, lenacapavir, has precocious been approved not only for treating but besides for preventing HIV. And uniquely, it's elemental to administer. It's astir arsenic easy to administer arsenic a vaccine, and it tin protect a personification for up to six months.

HUANG: So reducing aliases eliminating HIV requires a two-pronged approach. There's nan prevention portion of it and past nan curen portion of it. And I'm wondering really you spot these cuts impacting each of those approaches.

BROOKS: One of nan things that worries maine is that nan attraction of nan existent management pinch respect to HIV - which incidentally is included arsenic a caller portion of nan Administration for a Healthy America - that HIV bureau aliases division, immoderate it's yet named, seems highly focused connected conscionable treatment. But I deliberation those of america who activity successful infectious diseases cognize good that curen is not going to beryllium nan measurement you're going to get retired of immoderate epidemic. Prevention is simply a captious component. And what we're seeing now is peculiarly astir prevention investigation and prevention activities, a existent simplification successful what's being done.

HUANG: So fixed wherever we are, and that, you know, nan truth that Trump's inaugural to destruct HIV successful nan U.S. is still being funded, for illustration you said, possibly nether nan caller Administration for a Healthy America, moreover arsenic different HIV investigation is being cut, do you deliberation nan U.S. tin still scope this extremity of eliminating HIV by 2030?

BROOKS: Well, I'm a calved optimist, and I americium hopeful. But honestly, I deliberation that pinch nan cuts being made successful investigation and, successful particular, nan singular and, successful my opinion, draconian cuts being made to national finance successful HIV prevention, are going to lead to an summation successful caller HIV infections nationally. We person made awesome strides successful this state nether nan president's first-term signature inaugural to destruct nan HIV pandemic successful America. In nan first 4 years that it was successful effect, we've seen a 12% diminution successful caller infections nationally and a 19% diminution successful deaths owed to HIV.

HUANG: It sounds for illustration what you're saying, Dr. Brooks, is that existent HIV patients will still beryllium capable to entree treatment, but you're peculiarly worried astir nan prevention portion of it, nan prevention of caller group from getting HIV. Is that right?

BROOKS: That's perfectly right. You know, PrEP, this medicine that is fixed to forestall infection - it stands for pre-exposure prophylaxis - has made terrific advances. There's a caller supplier that's retired location that you only person to return doubly a twelvemonth done injection that tin beryllium administered arsenic easy arsenic a vaccine. However, nan supplier whitethorn beryllium available, and it whitethorn beryllium very potent, but not everybody has entree to it. To scope this supplier and to get that protection, you request to beryllium alert that you are astatine consequence for HIV and study that you don't person HIV, truthful nan supplier tin protect you. And past you request to beryllium capable to get to a spot that tin administer it, you request to beryllium capable to spend it, and you request to beryllium capable to enactment engaged successful nan benignant of attraction that you request to administer nan supplier arsenic agelong arsenic you request it.

HUANG: That's Dr. John Brooks, erstwhile main aesculapian serviceman to nan CDC's Division of HIV Prevention. Dr. Brooks, acknowledgment for joining us.

BROOKS: Thank you very much. Take care.

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