MEDIA CONTACT: Bella Mungioli, media@sfaf.org 

SAN FRANCISCO, April 8, 2024 – San Francisco AIDS Foundation applauds the decision to appoint Francisco Ruiz, MPH, as the new Director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP),. Ruiz will be replacing Harold Phillips who we are grateful to for revitalizing the office and restoring confidence in ONAP after its inactivity during the Trump Administration. Francisco Ruiz, MPH, is an ideal choice for this moment in the U.S. epidemic as HIV case rates in young, Latino, gay men are rising. 

“I’ve known Francisco since our days working together at the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) where he managed Racial and Ethnic Health Disparity issues. His recent experiences at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as Senior Advisor for Program Innovation and Coordination, and Team Lead for National Partnerships respectively, have enhanced his knowledge of essential federal health systems, increased his empathy for impacted communities, and enriched his lived experience. Francisco is well positioned to make maximum impact on behalf of people living with and vulnerable to HIV at this critical time. We look forward to working closely with him,” said Dr. Tyler TeMeer, CEO, San Francisco AIDS Foundation. 

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed many shortfalls in our nation’s epidemic  response systems reminding many of us of the early days of HIV.  Thankfully, advances in HIV research, the history of HIV community engagement, and our community’s knowledge of health systems were critical to community COVID-19 and MPox successful responses. “It is time to renew national attention on HIV, and Francisco, with the appropriate White House campus office space, staff support, and convening budget, will ensure the U.S. does not lose ground on its goals to End the HIV Epidemic,” said TerMeer.

 San Francisco remains one of the U.S. cities most severely impacted by HIV since its inception 43 years ago when the epidemic was primarily among white gay men. Today in San Francisco for the first time, Latino men have the highest rate of HIV diagnosis per capita at 84 per 100,000 than among any other racial and ethnic group. This compares with 68 cases per 100,000 among Black men,19 cases per 100,000 for white men, 9 cases per 100,000 among Asian men. While HIV cases have been on the decline in San Francisco, this new spike in Latino cases alerts us to the reality that HIV is not over and resources and attention must continue to be prioritized.

San Francisco AIDS Foundation promotes health, wellness and social justice for communities most impacted by HIV through sexual health and substance use services, advocacy, and community partnerships. Each year more than 27,000 people rely on SFAF programs and services, and millions more access SFAF health information online. 

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