CHICAGO (WGEM) – Illinois wants to take the next step towards ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the state.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker joined advocates and public health officials Wednesday to launch “Getting to Zero 2.0.”
“Every case that we can prevent is absolutely vital. It means more people free to live to their fullest without fear of spreading or contracting the virus. It means more families and communities kept together. It means more lives saved,” said Pritzker, a Democrat.
An update of the original 2019 plan, “Getting to Zero 2.0″ has the same goal. The aim is to reduce the number of new HIV cases in Illinois to fewer than 100 annually by 2030. “Getting to Zero’s” data showed 1,306 new cases in the state in 2022 and 41,500 Illinoisans living with the virus.
To get there, the new plan aims to diagnose people as early as possible, reduce structural and institutional barriers to treatment, while increasing housing and other supportive services, educational opportunities and HIV prevention services for people living with who are vulnerable to HIV.
The plan also aims to get at least 95% of Illinoisans living with the virus to an undetectable viral load. “Getting to Zero” data shows that number was 62% in 2021. Someone who is undetectable cannot spread the virus according Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“We are getting to zero not because we are signing a paper. We are getting to zero because we have the full force of government behind us,” said Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Olusimbo “Simbo” Ige.
“We can see that we can get there,” Pritzker said.
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