Presidential Elections and HIV-Related National Policies and Programs

Abstract

The November 2016 general election and subsequent voting of the Electoral College resulted in the selection of Donald Trump as President of the United States. The incoming Administration ran a campaign that indicated a desire for substantial change in health policy, including the repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). President Trump has said very little directly about HIV programs and policies, but some campaign positions (such as the repeal of the ACA) would clearly and substantially impact the lives of persons living with HIV. In this editorial, we highlight important HIV-related goals to which we must recommit ourselves, and we underscore several key points about evidence-based advocacy that are important to revisit at any time (but most especially when there is a change in Administration).Resumen La elección nacional de Noviembre de 2016 y el voto subsecuente del Colegio Electoral resultaron en la selección de Donald Trump como Presidente de los Estados Unidos. La nueva Administración hizo campaña que indicaba el deseo para un cambio considerable en la polí-tica de la salud, incluyendo la revocación de la Ley del Cuidado de Salud Asequible (ACA). El Presidente Trump ha dicho muy poco directamente con respecto a sus políticas y programas para el VIH, pero algunas posiciones de la campaña (como la revocación de la ACA) tendrían un impacto claro y sustancial en las vidas de las personas que viven con el VIH. En este editorial, destacamos metas importantes relacionadas al VIH a las que debemos reafirmarnos, y subrayamos varios puntos claves sobre el apoyo basado en evidencia que son importantes a revisar en cualquier momento (pero especialmente cuando ha sucedido un cambio de Administración).

The hepatitis C infection in Iran: a policy analysis of agenda-setting using Kingdon’s multiple streams framework

“…Elections and changes in government are among the most important political events that can have meaningful effects in prioritising a given policy [52, 53]. The new Iranian government, which was settled in 2013, announced healthcare as one of its slogans.…”

Ending HIV Hinges on Reducing Poverty

“…Therefore, any hope for ending HIV in the foreseeable future demands a renewed call for advancing policy and fostering structural changes to address poverty, health inequalities, and social injustices. Social and behavioral research has a rich history of being impactful in policy arenas [23][24][25][26][27][28][29]. Social and behavioral sciences can direct us toward high-impact outcomes as well as illuminate the consequences of failing to act, as has been the case for increased access to syringe exchange [30], expansion of HARM reduction programs [31], and the cost-effectiveness of HIV prevention and ART adherence programs [32][33][34].…”

When Science and Values Collide: Recalling the Lessons of Evidence-Based HIV Prevention

“…A previous opinion piece offered in this journal asserted that investigators should ''engage in, support, and promote efforts that help to ensure that their empirical work is translated into policies and programs'' [19]. Very true.…”