Working Group Develops Recommendations for National HIV/AIDS Strategy Operational Plans

With President Obama's release of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) in July, the government is now focused on implementation. This includes a directive from President Obama to various federal agencies to develop operational plans by December 9, 2010, describing the steps they will take to fully implement the Strategy.

The agency operational plans are the next critical test of the government's determination to deliver on the Strategy's goals and objectives. The plans must be detailed, comprehensive, and ambitious to have their intended impact galvanizing needed actions implementing the Strategy.

To inform agency operational plans, a working group of individuals who have been advocating for an effective Strategy over the last several years developed recommendations to set the Strategy on a ready course to meet its goals. The working group recommends that operational plans address at least three critical aspects to ensure success:

1. Funding: Estimates of needed resources, more strategic allocation of current resources, and a commitment to marshal new resources.

2. Impact: High-yield activities capable of delivering tangible results.

3. Management: System changes that improve coordination, transparency, and accountability

The National HIV/AIDS Strategy represents a significant step forward in the response to the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic. To accomplish the Strategy's worthy goals, federal officials must signal a serious commitment to improve outcomes with specific and ambitious implementation plans. The full paper may be viewed by visiting: http://www.friendsofaids.org/additionaltopics.html

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.


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