The Enhanced Comprehensive HIV Prevention Planning (ECHPP) Project is a 3-year demonstration project funded by CDC's Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention (DHAP) for the 12 municipalities with the highest number of people living with AIDS in the United States. As part of the response to the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS), the ECHPP project supports the 12 Cities Project which is directed by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). These two projects directly support NHAS goals by improving program planning and implementation to:

• Reduce new HIV infections
• Link people with HIV to care and treatment and improve health outcomes,
• Reduce HIV-related health disparities, and
• Achieve a more coordinated national response to the HIV epidemic in the United States.

Lessons learned from ECHPP will inform how CDC can best work with health departments, other US government agencies and communities to reach the NHAS goals across the country.

The ECHPP evaluation employs a systems-level approach whereby process, outcome, and impact indicators are monitored to assess program success. Qualitative/quantitative data will be synthesized across diverse sources (case/supplemental surveillance, program, and special study data) using data triangulation methods. Evaluation goals are to determine whether ECHPP implementation is associated with decreased HIV infection, increased health outcomes for HIV-positive individuals, and decreased HIV-related disparities.