Getting Illinois to Zero New HIV Cases

CDPH this week joined partners from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), AIDS Foundation Chicago, service providers, community representatives, and Gov. JB Pritzker, in launching the Getting to Zero Illinois (GTZ-IL) 2.0 Plan at the UIC Student Center West in the Near West Side's Illinois Medical District. CDPH Commissioner Dr. Simbo Ige, on behalf of the City of Chicago, committed to a refreshed and refocused GTZ-IL Plan, a statewide initiative to end the HIV epidemic in Illinois by 2030. The historic day marked the unveiling of the GTZ-IL 2.0 roadmap for 2024-2027, which aims to achieve functional zero new HIV infections by 2030. Functional zero in Illinois means fewer than 100 new HIV infections annually, a threshold at which the HIV epidemic can no longer sustain itself.

In a symbolic and powerful gesture, Dr. Ige, with Dr. Jose M. Zuniga, President/CEO of the International Association of Providers of AIDS CARE and Fast-Track Cities Institute, signed the Paris Declaration on Fast-track Cities Ending the HIV Epidemic, and the Sevilla Declaration on the Centrality of Communities in Urban HIV Responses.

Four decades ago, in the darkest days of the HIV epidemic, ending it seemed unimaginable. Today, thanks to strong partnerships and unwavering commitment with federal and state partners, providers, advocates, and stakeholders who helped envision GTZ from its inception, we know now that ending HIV is a reality within our reach. Chicago is poised to make history and achieve a future where HIV is no longer a public health threat.

Celebrate Safely on the 4th of July

Next week is the Fourth of July, a nationwide celebration and one of the hallmark days of summer every year in America. Among the many festivities will be a holiday hallmark: fireworks and other flammables like sparklers. CDPH strongly encourages all Chicagoans to leave the explosives to the professionals (fireworks are illegal in Illinois, by the way), but in case you come into close contact with anything potentially dangerous, we urge you to use best practices and follow the proper safety precautions:

• Keep all flammables far away from any heat sources like grills or charcoal chimneys.
• Keep fireworks away from houses and never light them indoors.
• Never point or throw fireworks at another person.
• Never allow young children to handle fireworks.
• Always keep a safe distance away from lighted fireworks and never hold them in your hands.
• Never try to re-light or handle malfunctioning fireworks, and soak spent or unused fireworks in water for a few hours before discarding them.
• Keep a bucket of water nearby any time you handle fire or fireworks of any kind.

Burns and injuries from fireworks can be very serious - keep yourselves and others safe while you celebrate Independence Day!

New Healthy Chicago Podcast

In the latest episode of the Spanish-Language Healthy Chicago podcast, Dr. Alfredo Mena Lora, Infectious Disease Specialist at UIC, joins Dr. Geraldine Luna to discuss meningitis: its signs and symptoms, transmission, and associated risk factors. Dr. Mena Lora also emphasizes the importance of vaccination as the most effective method for prevention and advises on who should receive the vaccine. Listen to the newest Healthy Chicago episode on the CDPH website and all major platforms:

Apple / Spotify / YouTube

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