New York City has surpassed the target set by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) two years ahead of schedule.
According to New York City officials, they have surpassed the HIV/AIDS target initially set by UNAIDS, known as 90-90-90, referring to the percentage of people with HIV who know their status, who are on treatment and whose viral load is suppressed.
Officials claim that as of 2018, New York City has surpassed those targets, stating that 93% of people with HIV have gotten a diagnosis, 90% are on treatment and 92% of those on treatment are virally suppressed.
Taking cue from London and Amsterdam, which were among the UN's priority "Fast-Track Cities" to reach the 90-90-90 target, New York became the fist "Fast-Track" city in the US to do so.
In a statement released on Monday, the day after World AIDS Day, Mayor Bill de Blasio said: "With more New Yorkers receiving treatment than ever, the day of zero diagnoses is closer than ever—something many believed unthinkable not so long ago."
Furthermore, the city's health department released its 2018 HIV Surveillance Annual Report in November, showing that the number of new diagnoses fell below 2,000, the lowest level since the city began annual HIV reporting in 2001.
New York City officials have also emphasized that Monday's announcement of HIV/AIDS numbers reflects strong community partnerships, access to preventive medications, investment in testing and treatment programs, and a history of advocacy by LGBTQ, public health and HIV/AIDS groups.
In addition, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced in October that new HIV diagnoses in the state has fallen to a historically low level of 2,481 in 2018. Cuomo added that new HIV infections have also declined to a low of 2,019 cases during the same year, keeping the state on track to end the AIDS epidemic there by the end of 2020.
