On World AIDS Day (December 1st), the U.S. PLHIV Caucus released our response to the National HIV/AIDS Strategy FederalImplementation Plan, Filling the Gaps: A PLHIV Networks response to the NHAS Federal Implementation Plan. In this document we address what is and is not included in the Plan and provide concrete recommendations of priority actions we see as necessary to fill in the gaps in the Implementation Plan within the three-year time span provided in the NHAS. As we prepare for a fruitful 2023 filled with victories for people living with HIV, we want to make sure you didn’t miss it!

Some highlights of Filling in the Gaps:

  • The Implementation Plan made significant progress by including a multi-dimensional quality of life indicator that includes social and structural determinants of health. Measuring quality of life is an important step. However, we also demand a federal response that affirmatively improves quality of life and whole-person care for people living with HIV.
  • The Implementation Plan currently does not adequately address community concerns around Molecular HIV Surveillance and Cluster and Detection Response. In this document we identified concrete, critical steps that the federal government must implement immediately to better protect the human rights of people living with HIV.
  • Communities most impacted by HIV in the United States must have an organized voice in decision-making. While it is not feasible to provide for individual input from the estimated 1.2 million people living with HIV in the U.S, it is feasible to ensure structured and formal involvement of regional and national networks of people living with HIV, and of other organized groups of constituent stakeholders throughout the domestic HIV response. We have provided recommendations for how the Implementation Plan and individual agency actions can and should be strengthened to structurally include meaningful involvement of people with HIV/AIDS (MIPA).


The United States People Living with HIV Caucus (also known as the HIV Caucus), was formed in 2010 as a national voice for people living with HIV (PLHIV). Our members are PLHIV-led groups, organizations and networks, as well as individual advocates living with HIV. For more information visit: www.hivcaucus.org