Mayor Brandon Scott on Thursday joined Fast-Track Cities in its goal to end HIV, by signing the latest iteration of the Paris Declaration.
Fast Track Cities is a global partnership with cities and municipalities around the world whose goal is to eradicate HIV. Signing the Paris Declaration reaffirms Baltimore’s commitment to this effort and supports residents who have been diagnosed.
Scott cited additional goals of eliminating societal factors that contribute to the epidemic and make it harder for people with HIV to seek treatment.
“The City of Baltimore remains committed to the objectives of the Paris Declaration on Fast-Track Cities Ending the HIV Epidemic that city officials signed in 2015 — and I’m proud to be reaffirming that commitment by signing the most recent iteration today,” said Scott. “Together, we can move towards eliminating this epidemic, while also erasing inequities fueled by racism, homophobia, transphobia, and other factors that continue to make people vulnerable to stigma and social marginalization.”
The City of Baltimore first joined the Fast-Track partnership in December 2015, when rates of HIV were rising, and signed the Paris Declaration on World AIDS Day. According to the press release, “[s]ince that time, the partnership has yielded significant results. The number of new HIV infections in Baltimore declined from 541 in 2016 to 170 in 2021.”
The latest declaration includes increased goals from 90-90-90 targets to 95-95-95 targets. This means that 95% of people living with HIV would know their HIV status, 95% of those with diagnosed HIV infection would receive sustained anti-retroviral therapy, and 95% of those receiving antiretroviral therapy will achieve viral suppression.
Fast Track Cities comprises four core partners: International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC), the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat), and the City of Paris.
“The City of Baltimore will continue to work with partners and dedicate resources and funding to ending the HIV epidemic,” read the press release.
