SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — The number of new HIV and AIDS cases diagnosed in Illinois has decreased by 18%, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Gov. JB Pritzker said Wednesday that the state's goal of having zero new HIV cases by 2030 is within grasp. The governor said every case that Illinois can prevent is absolutely vital.
"It means more people free to live to their fullest without fear of spreading or contracting the virus," Pritzker said. "It means more families and communities kept together. It means more lives saved."
Pritzker launched the Getting to Zero IL Plan in 2019 to better understand, prevent and treat HIV. The administration is now launching GTZ-IL 2.0 to build upon the state's progress and create new goals for the next three years.
State leaders want to improve quality of life for people living with and vulnerable to HIV by increasing awareness, reducing stigma and improving access to support services, including housing, food, behavioral health and legal services.
39% of new HIV diagnosis in Illinois are Black people, yet Black people only make up 14% of the state's population.
They also hope to diagnose all people with HIV as early as possible. Increasing the percentage of people vulnerable to HIV who are linked and retained to prevention and supportive services is another critical goal.
The Pritzker administration also aims to increase the amount of people educated about, engaged and retained in HIV prevention practices. They are also committed to increasing the percentage of people living with HIV who are virally suppressed from 62% in 2021 to 95% by 2030.
"The national HIV-AIDS strategy established a target to increase rates of care access within one month of diagnosis to 95% by 2025," Pritzker said. "Well, in Illinois, we're well on our way. There's progress still to be made, but we've reached 79%."
You can learn more about the Getting to Zero Illinois plan by clicking here.
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