Fast-Track Cities Celebrates Its One-Year Mark In Austin/Travis County

A community effort to end the AIDS epidemic has made its one-year mark. Austin Fast-Track Cities will celebrate its one-year anniversary on June 20^th, 2019. Fast-Track Cities is an initiative that helps local communities share ideas and practices to leverage resources (existing and new) to create community progress against HIV.

The Fast-Track Cities partners need feedback from the public on their collective plan to end the AIDS epidemic.

Four workgroups related to key priority areas have formed and identified initial strategies to further the work of Austin Fast-Track Cities. Public comments on the action steps to end the AIDS epidemic can be submitted through the Austin Fast-Track Cities online survey (available with this FTCATX Comment Link ) through June 29, 2019.

Fast-Track Cities representatives will be taking feedback in-person at the City Hall lobby, June 20, 2019 (5 – 7 p.m.) while a proclamation is announced at the City Council meeting.
 
The City of Austin and Travis County signed the Paris declaration committing to achieve a set of 90-90-90 targets which contain initiatives to end the global AIDS epidemic by 2030.  The 90-90-90 targets to end the AIDS epidemic are a call for jurisdictions to do the following:

1. Diagnose 90 percent of people living with HIV;
2. Provide antiretroviral treatment (ART) for 90 percent of those diagnosed and
3. Achieve viral suppression for 90 percent of those treated. 

Locally, stigma related to HIV and sexual health contributes to lower rates of testing, prevention and treatment in populations that have negative disparities in health outcomes.  Holistically serving our community to ensure ending the HIV epidemic for all populations is a priority for Austin and Travis County.

As part of the celebration for the one year anniversary of Austin joining Fast-Track Cities, these proclamations are being hosted across Austin:

• Austin City Council Fast-Track Cities Proclamation, June 20, 2019 (5 — 7 PM) Austin City Hall, 301 W 2^nd St.
• Travis County Commissioners Court Fast-Track Cities Proclamation, June 25 (11 AM — Noon) Travis County Administration Building, 700 Lavaca St.