While the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted testing for other diseases, the U.S. could still meet its goal of ending the HIV epidemic by 2030, according to the White House chief medical advisor.
"Obviously, when you shut down society, the accessibility for testing and the chain for drug availability can be disrupted the same way everything is disrupted, including vaccinations for children," Anthony Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said during a May 25 House Committee on Appropriations and the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, CNBC reports.
The Trump administration in 2019 set the 2030 goal of ending the HIV epidemic, with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic spurring concerns over whether interruptions to testing and drug development would impede the effort.
Despite the disruptions, the nation has not moved "backward" in its efforts to end the epidemic, Dr. Fauci said, citing a number of strides made in managing and preventing HIV, including a prevention medication known as pre-exposure prophylaxis.
"Pre-exposure prophylaxis is an important ingredient in our attempt over 10 years from 2020 to 2030 to end the epidemic in the U.S.," Dr. Fauci said. "I believe, notwithstanding COVID-19, that we will achieve that goal."