LAS VEGAS – The Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) and the Washoe County Health District (WCHD) are proud to welcome the Biomedical HIV Prevention Summit, to be held at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas April 11 and 12. Presented by the National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC), the summit will convene more than 1,400 leaders, advocates and educators to share ideas and learn about new approaches to preventing HIV infection.

The annual event focuses on implementing biomedical tools in prevention and treatment efforts to ultimately end the HIV epidemic in communities of color. The summit will feature sessions on the need for a national Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) program, community participation in research, insurance for PrEP and other topics.

SNHD and WCHD will host “Community Corner” presentations during the summit, with SNHD covering the topic of PrEP Navigation and PrEP Academic/Public Health Detailing efforts, and WCHD addressing the launch of a PrEP pilot program using non-traditional funding sources.

In 2021, 89 percent of Nevada’s newly diagnosed HIV cases were in Clark County. An additional 7.7 percent of newly diagnosed cases were in Washoe County. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Black/African American people have a disproportionately higher number of new HIV diagnoses and people living with HIV, compared to other races and ethnicities. These disparities are driven by factors including racism, HIV stigma, homophobia, poverty and barriers to health care. SNHD and WCHD support efforts by NMAC to lessen the burdens of these social determinants of health.

As part of efforts to reduce new HIV infections, SNHD is among the participants in the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. initiative (EHE), led by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The initiative aims to reduce new HIV infections in the United States by 90 percent by 2030 by scaling up key HIV prevention and treatment strategies. EHE provides a targeted infusion of resources and support to 50 local areas, including Clark County, that account for more than half of new HIV diagnoses in the U.S. WCHD supports EHE initiatives on a smaller scale and partners with SNHD on many initiatives.

SNHD District Health Officer Dr. Fermin Leguen said, “HIV presents a significant public health challenge that requires broad-based participation in prevention and treatment efforts. Events such as this summit play a key role in promoting health while reducing the impact of HIV/AIDS.” He added, “NMAC is a respected partner in pursuing our mutual goals.”

WCHD District Health Officer Kevin Dick said, “Hosting a conference that focuses on preventive methods to end the HIV epidemic is part of Nevada’s commitment to decreasing new cases. We look forward to learning more of the innovative strategies and approaches that are being implemented nationwide.” He added, “Sharing successes and challenges advances critical public health initiatives, while keeping a client centered approach in the forefront.”

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The Washoe County Health District is nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board and has jurisdiction over all public health matters in Reno, Sparks, and Washoe County through the policy-making Washoe County District Board of Health. The District consists of five divisions: Administrative Health Services, Air Quality Management, Community and Clinical Health Services, Environmental Health Services and Epidemiology & Public Health Preparedness. More information can be found here.