'Getting to 0' consortium outlines PrEP rollout, same‑day treatment and retention goals

An unnamed presenter representing the Getting to 0 consortium outlined a citywide strategy to drive new HIV infections, HIV-related deaths and stigma toward zero, arguing San Francisco's surveillance and care systems position it to lead. "We want to have robust metrics so that we can be sure that we're actually measuring how well we're doing," the presenter said, and committed to reporting back annually on World AIDS Day.

The consortium outlined three initial initiatives: a PrEP rollout to expand pre-exposure prophylaxis access and provider capacity, RAPID same-day initiation of antiretroviral therapy for newly diagnosed people, and targeted retention efforts for populations with persistent disparities. The presenter cited a roughly 30 percent decline in new diagnoses over seven years and higher rates of viral suppression than national averages.

Why it matters: Commissioners praised the collaborative approach and emphasized the need to target racial and gender disparities: presenters acknowledged that transgender people and African Americans continue to experience worse retention and viral suppression and described proposals to tailor interventions and pursue NIH and other grants for trans-specific research.

Supporting details: The consortium said it will seek multiple funding sources, prefers directing funds to existing community-based organizations rather than creating a new bureaucracy, and plans media outreach as part of a collective funding strategy. Jeff Sheehy, who identified himself as affiliated with UCSF and a former City HIV adviser, commended the work and noted broad community support.

Next steps: The Health Department and the consortium will develop a business plan, work with funders and community partners on media and metrics, and provide a six-month/ongoing follow-up to the commission with budget and metric updates.