New York State Department of Health Announces Annual Ending the Epidemic Summit and World AIDS Day Events

The 9th Annual Ending the Epidemic Summit and 26th World AIDS Day Theme is Titled, "Unraveling Syndemics: A Community Response, Shared Solutions"

Panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt Will be On Display

Summit Highlights Progress Toward Ending the Epidemic Goals and 2023 Surveillance Report

Full Agenda for Each Day Can be Found Here

ALBANY, N.Y. (December 10, 2024) – The New York State Department of Health's 9th annual Ending the Epidemic (ETE) Summit and 26th World AIDS Day (WAD) events are being held December 10-11, 2024. The events follow the annual global observance of World AIDS Day held each year on December 1.

This year's ETE Summit and World AIDS Day theme is titled, "Unraveling Syndemics: A Community Response, Shared Solutions." Syndemics occur when two or more diseases or health conditions cluster and interact within a population because of social and structural factors and inequities, leading to an excess burden of disease and continuing health disparities.

"New York State has seen tremendous progress in reducing new HIV infections since implementing the Ending the Epidemic initiative," State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said. "As we move forward, innovative models of care and a syndemic approach are necessary to eliminate health disparities and make progress towards achieving health equity so we can complete our mission of ending the epidemic in New York State."

Events will highlight these syndemic approaches that address intersecting epidemics of HIV, sexually transmitted infections, viral hepatitis and substance use.

The Department will also release new data on the state's Ending the Epidemic efforts, including the updated ETE Dashboard and the latest HIV Surveillance Report. Highlights of the new data will be presented during the ETE Summit.

2024 Ending the Epidemic Summit and World AIDS Day feature the following events:

Tuesday, December 10:

  • Welcome and dedication to Cecilia Gentili delivered by Marjorie Hill, New York State AIDS Advisory Council and Charles King, Housing Works CEO.
  • Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald to deliver opening remarks along with Dr. Celia Quinn, Deputy Commissioner, Division of Disease Control, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
  • An ETE update provided by State Department of Health AIDS Institute Director Joseph Kerwin and Dr. Sarah Braunstein, Bureau of Hepatitis, HIV, and Sexually Transmitted Infections, Division of Disease Control, New York City Department of Health and Hygiene.
  • A special keynote address by Marlene McNeese, Houston Health Department and Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA) Co-Chair

Wednesday, December 11:

  • World AIDS Day welcome plenary and dedication to Claire Simon delivered by Kraig Pannel, New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute Director of the Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Services.
  • A viewing of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, which was created to honor, remember, and celebrate the stories and lives of those lost to HIV/AIDS.
  • A candle lighting service to be held to commemorate World AIDS Day. The blue candle – symbolizing hope, healing, and remembrance – has long been at the center of AIDS memorial services and activism. The candle was at a vigil honoring San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone in 1985, which is also where the concept of the AIDS Memorial Quilt was born.
  • World AIDS Day Commissioner's Special Recognition Awards Ceremony, presented by New York State Department of Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald and Deputy Executive Commissioner Johanne Morne.

Due to the historic and robust response, New York State bent the curve on the HIV epidemic, reversing the decades-long increase in the number of people living with diagnosed HIV in New York State, with new diagnoses decreasing by 30 percent since the start of the State's Ending the Epidemic efforts in 2014.

The State Department of Health's AIDS Institute programs continue to emphasize the importance of addressing health equity through innovation and new models to increase access to care through procurement efforts. These new and improved requests for applications address persistent inequities and prioritize Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) populations who are most disproportionately impacted by HIV.

New York State leads the nation in the number of individuals prescribed HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medications among those estimated to benefit from PrEP. Research has demonstrated that PrEP remains extremely effective at eliminating the possibility of sexually transmitting HIV. However, rates of PrEP uptake vary across populations in the state. In BIPOC communities, young men who have sex with men, cisgender and transgender women and individuals under the age of 40 access PrEP at far lower rates than their White counterparts, even as new diagnoses of HIV increase in these population groups. The Department's AIDS Institute continues to work with community partners and providers to identify strategies to ensure equitable access to PrEP across the state.

More information about Ending the Epidemic, and World AIDS Day, including a full calendar of events, can be found here.

Resources for New Yorkers who are living with HIV/AIDS can be found here.