News

HHS takes next steps to implement national strategic plans on STIs and viral hepatitis

June 16, 2023

Last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released two new resources to further the goals of national strategic plans to address ongoing public health threats.

The first-ever STI Federal Implementation Plan outlines federal actions to advance the prevention, care, and treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the United States. The implementation plan represents a key step toward meeting the goals of the inaugural STI National Strategic Plan, which was released in 2020.

To promote the successful implementation of multi-year federal strategies to reduce the burden of infectious diseases, cross-agency work groups generate annual reports that measure progress, summarize recent agency actions taken, and outline next steps toward achieving national strategic plan goals. The 2021–2022 Progress Report for the Viral Hepatitis National Strategic Plan 2021-2025 highlights milestones reached and challenges encountered during the first year of the national strategic plan’s 5-year roadmap to eliminate viral hepatitis in the United States.

RLA supported the development of both the STI implementation plan and the viral hepatitis progress report with technical writing, editorial, design, and project coordination services—and previously provided the same services in support of the national strategic plans that inform these new documents. We’re proud to contribute to HHS’s crucial follow-up work to promote implementation and evaluate progress toward realizing the public health vision set out in these plans.