Today the nation will rightfully turn its attention to the deep impact of the HIV epidemic on the Black community. On National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, we acknowledge the progress we have made and the work that’s still ahead. As the borough president of the Bronx, which experienced the highest rate of new HIV diagnoses in New York City in 2022, this is a date that serves as a solemn reminder of the urgent need for action.
According to the latest data from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Bronx continues to carry a disproportionate burden of HIV cases. Despite significant efforts in treatment and prevention, the Bronx still sees a high number of HIV diagnoses, with the situation being particularly severe among the Black community. Access to preventive measures like pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a medication that is highly effective at helping HIV-negative individuals stay negative, is notably lower for Black residents. This disparity is especially pronounced among young Black men who are gay or bisexual and Black women, where the rates of new HIV diagnoses are higher compared to other populations.
This disparity must be addressed with concerted efforts by public health experts, elected officials, and community organizations working together to get this preventive and potentially life-saving medicine equitably distributed to areas in our borough where the need is the greatest — something our LGBTQIA+ Task Force and HIV Roundtable will be making a top priority for our administration moving forward.
While the Bronx fared slightly better than other boroughs when it came to achieving viral suppression within three months of an HIV diagnosis (59% vs. 53%, respectively), inequities persisted across racial lines. For Black Bronxites only 50% of those newly diagnosed with HIV achieved viral suppression.
These numbers leave little room for debate: we need to provide more targeted interventions and resources to address these disparities, including addressing social determinants of health like poverty, unstable housing, and food insecurity, and improving access to preventive health care for Bronx residents placed at elevated risk for HIV. The good news is we already know what works.
To improve access to HIV treatment and prevention, we must adequately equip our community health providers here in the Bronx with the resources they need to do their best work, which includes maximizing access to HIV Medicaid Special Needs Health Plans designed for people living with or placed at elevated risk for HIV. As Borough President, I have seen first-hand how this patient-centered, language-diverse, and culturally competent holistic approach has a tremendous impact on our Black and brown residents and positively affects the overall health and wellness of our communities.
This National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day let’s recommit to addressing the racial health injustices that continue to plague communities of color, and finally put an end to the HIV epidemic once and for all.
Vanessa Gibson is the Bronx Borough President.
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