Welcome, Francisco Ruiz, new director of ONAP – Message from Kaye Hayes

We are now more than 100 days into 2024 and I am reminded that we must keep moving forward while keeping our foot on the pedal to ensure our HIV response builds on our successes and continues to work to address unmet needs and challenges emerging To assist in these efforts, the White House has appointed a new director to lead the Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP), and I am honored to welcome Francisco Ruiz to this position.

He takes the helm as the first Latino to serve in this role and as an individual whose history and lived experience demonstrate an understanding and commitment to equity in the diverse communities affected by HIV. As Deputy Assistant Secretary for Infectious Diseases and Director of the Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy (OIDP), I look forward to working with Francisco and ONAP to advance the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy ( NHAS) and theEnding the HIV epidemic in the US(EHE) as we continue to approach our efforts through a syndemic lens that recognizes the overlapping health conditions of HIV, substance use, mental health, viral hepatitis, and sexually transmitted infections, particularly the crisis of syphilis and congenital syphilis, and the social situation. and the structural factors that give rise to them.

Enthusiasm for this announcement extends to Adm. Rachel Levine, MD, Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, who shares: I am pleased to welcome Francisco Ruiz to the Office of Policy National White House AIDS. Francisco brings a wealth of knowledge and experience vital to shaping the implementation of the Biden Administration’s priorities, from NHAS to our collective efforts to reduce HIV-related disparities and address stigma and discrimination I look forward to working with him to support President Biden’s FY 2025 budget request for HIV programs, including a mandatory pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) program.

Commitment to coordination and community participation

Francisco has worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) since 2013. In his previous role as Senior Advisor for Innovation and Program Coordination within the Division of HIV Prevention, he played an integral in setting up and advancing programs and partnerships everywhere. the Divisions ten branches and six offices. It also advanced agency engagement with community partners, ensuring that affected populations are part of developing the message and creating new initiatives. Before joining the federal government, he worked at NASTAD (National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors), working extensively with health departments to address the impact of HIV among key populations, including the Black, Hispanic/Latino and LGBTQ+ communities. Her focus on engaging and working with diverse communities, her experience working in public health, and her commitment to addressing health disparities and inequities will continue to be of great benefit to the HIV services community and those who continue to working to end the HIV epidemic.

I offer my sincere congratulations to Francisco on this well-deserved appointment. My office and I, along with many others committed to ending the HIV epidemic, are excited and look forward to our future collaboration.

Learn more

We encourage you to read a recent blog about the appointment of Francisco de Neera Tanden, Chair of the Domestic Policy Council and White House Domestic Policy Advisor to the President.