HIV/STD AND VIRAL HEPATITIS PREVENTION

Health and Human Services

highlights

Bureau of HIV/STD and Viral Hepatitis Prevention

Bureau Chief - Marlene McNeese-Ward

Mission Statement:

To work in partnership with the community to assess, plan, and implement effective public health strategies to reduce the spread of HIV, viral Hepatitis and other sexually transmitted diseases in the City of Houston.

Vision Statement:

Spanning more than 1,700 square miles with nearly 3.7 million residents, Harris County is the most populous county in Texas and the third most populous county in the United States. Harris County remains the eighth most HIV/AIDS impacted local jurisdiction in the United States with approximately 19,000 to 21,000 people living with HIV or AIDS. In 2004, the jurisdiction’s AIDS case rate of 23.9 (per 100,000 residents) was higher than the national AIDS case rate of 15.0. Within Harris County, the City of Houston covers more than 600 square miles with over 2 million residents, making it the fourth most populous city in the United States. The City of Houston accounts for more than 95% of HIV and AIDS cases within Harris County.

The Houston Department of Health and Human Services (HDHHS) is operated by the local city government to provide leadership in the promotion and protection of the health and social well being of the Houston community through advocacy, education and community-based health services. The Bureau of HIV/STD Prevention has an operating budget of approximately $9 million consisting of federal, state, and local funding sources, and is one of only seven local jurisdictions directly-funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for HIV Prevention Services.

One purpose of the Bureau of HIV/STD and Viral Hepatitis Prevention is to develop an effective response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Houston/Harris County by improving our response to HIV infection and associated risk factors, preventing the spread of HIV, maximizing health and social outcomes and coordinating effective and efficiently targeted comprehensive services for those at risk for, living with or affected by HIV. Approximately 13 direct service community-based organizations (CBOs) are funded to provide HIV/STD Counseling, Testing, and Referral Services (CTR), Health Education/Risk Reduction (HE/RR), Social Marketing, and Comprehensive Risk Counseling Services (CRCS). With a staff of 60 individuals, the Bureau serves as an administrative agent to these CBOs, conducting monitoring and evaluation activities and providing capacity building and technical assistance as needed.

Staff directory

This site contains HIV prevention messages that may not be appropriate for all audiences. Since HIV is spread primarily through sexual practices or by sharing needles, prevention messages on this site may address these topics. HIV prevention materials funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) must be approved by local materials review panels. If you are not seeking such information or may be offended by such materials, please exit this website.