Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins signed Dallas County on to the Fast-Track Cities Paris Declaration to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030 today, (Monday, Aug. 26) at Communities Foundation of Texas.
Why did the county become a fast-track city? Because in Texas, healthcare is a county not a city function. But area mayors did join Jenkins for the signing, as did Dallas County Health and Human Services Director Dr. Philip Huang.
The Fast-Track Cities Paris Declaration is a commitment by local governments to work collaboratively to end the HIV/AIDS Epidemic by 2030. The global partnership of 250 high burden HIV cities believes that when urban residents with HIV are better able to manage their diagnosis, the national outcomes are better.
Jenkins said the goal is for 90 percent of people living with HIV to know their status and receive treatment. Recent studies have shown that when the viral load is undetectable, HIV isn’t transmitted. The estimate is that only half of people with HIV in Dallas know their status.
“Dr. Huang and I have made signing this a top priority for Dallas County since he arrived six months ago. His understanding of the needs of this population and commitment to meeting those needs is already making a huge difference,” Jenkins said.
— David Taffet
