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Public health warns of high STI rates; county program relies on federal funds and community partners
Summary
Sacramento County Public Health presented an update on sexually transmitted infections and HIV, highlighting persistent high rates, the county's clinic and mobile services, and dependence on federal and state grants. Officials warned of risk if federal funding changes and emphasized community‑based partners that deliver outreach and testing.
Sacramento County Public Health on June 10 reported persistently elevated rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and described county efforts to provide low‑barrier testing and treatment, targeted outreach and mobile services.
"The STIs are caused by a number of bacteria, viruses, and parasites," Public Health Officer Dr. Olivia Kasirye told the Board of Supervisors. She said an important driver of continued transmission is asymptomatic infection — many people do not have symptoms and therefore do not get screened — and that reinfection is possible after treatment.
Dr. Kasirye summarized county programs that screen, treat and do case investigation, including a county communicable disease clinic initially seeded with county funds and later expanded with federal and state grants. She noted the county operates Wellness Without Walls, a mobile clinic partnership that brings testing and basic medical services into neighborhoods and shelters; staff told the board the mobile clinic reaches people who otherwise would not access care.
The department described a funding mix that includes roughly $11 million in federal grants and smaller state and local contributions, and several board members pressed staff on contingency plans should federal funding streams change. "A large part of our funding does come from the federal government," Kasirye said, and county staff said they were monitoring changes at the federal and state levels and would return with options if funding shifts materialize.
Public Health described collaborations with community‑based organizations (CBOs) that help deliver testing and vaccination outreach in nontraditional venues. Staff said the CBO network was critical during the m pox outbreak and in expanding access to pre‑exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and linkage to HIV care. The department also highlighted cross‑agency work on opioid overdose response and Narcan distribution.
Board members and a public speaker from a community health provider emphasized the need to maintain services amid federal budget uncertainty. Supervisor Kennedy commended the department’s outreach and bus‑side advertising and said messaging and stigma‑reduction remain important.
(Ending) Public Health asked the board to note the program’s accomplishments and the department’s concern about funding uncertainty. The department will monitor federal and state grant decisions and bring back any recommended changes to program delivery or funding strategies if necessary.
