In a year that saw the introduction of President Trump’s “Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America,” it is only fitting that the United States Conference on AIDS (USCA), held at a different city each year, will take place in Washington, DC, and focus on the structure, implementation and feasibility of Trump’s federal initiative.

Slated for Thursday, September 5, to Sunday, September 8, at the Marriot Marquis Hotel, USCA 2019 is spearheaded by NMAC, formerly known as the National Minority AIDS Council. You can register for the event at 2019usca.org.

The conference includes workshops, guest speakers, networking events, exhibit booths, the presentation of research data and much more and involves activists, AIDS organizations, health care leaders and people living with HIV.

This year, the event will also honor NMAC executive director (and POZ blogger) Paul Kawata, who has led the organization for 30 years. Robert Redfield, MD, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), will be in attendance.

Earlier this year, Redfield spoke at AIDSWatch, an annual advocacy event in which folks speak with their representatives in DC. Redfield faced criticism and protests because it had recently been reported that the CDC held the patent on the HIV prevention med Truvada as PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) but was withholding billions of dollars in profits. You can read more about the patent issue here and Redfield’s appearance here. And you can read Kawata’s open letter to Redfield, published after the AIDSWatch speech, here.

Kawata told POZ that instead of giving another speech, Redfield will be interviewed onstage at USCA in the style of a Sunday morning political show, complete with panel discussions to air out the topics brought up.

The full agenda is available online. An RSVP, which you can find here, is required. Advance registration ends August 9. Conference workshops will include the following:

  • What to Do When “Ending the HIV Epidemic” Comes to Town?

  • Implementation Research and the Role of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease’s (NIAID) Centers for AIDS Research in the Federal Plan to End the HIV Epidemic

  • Addressing the Needs of the HIV 50+ to End the HIV Epidemic in 2030. Get Your “Advocate” on

  • Ending the Epidemic: The Role of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Programs and Funding

  • Health Care Rights and Discrimination in the Trump Era

Other speakers at USCA will include Anthony Fauci, MD, the director of NIAID; George Sigounas, the director of HRSA; Rear Admiral Michael D. Weahkee, the principal deputy director of the Indian Health Service.

In related news, click here to read about Weahkee and the Cherokee Nation’s effort to end the HIV epidemic.

To learn more about the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative, read “What Do We Know About Trump’s HIV Plan for America?” or visit the HIV.gov site here.