(P168) LOCAL, STATE, AND PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP TO ADDRESS AN INCREASE IN RECENT HUMANITARIAN REFUGEE AND ASYLEE HEALTH ASSESSMENTS AND HIV SCREENINGS AT A TEMPORARY RESPONSE CLINIC – ORANGE COUNTY, FLORIDA, APRIL 2023 – JANUARY 2024

Background:
In the U.S., a greater percentage (31.2% vs 23.9%) of foreign-born people than U.S.-born people had AIDS upon a new HIV diagnosis. With the decreased intake of humanitarian refugee and asylees (R/As) during the pandemic period of 2019-2022, Orange County, Florida saw an increase in new arrivals needing health assessments, once the public health emergency ended in 2023.

Methods:
Beginning in March 2023, to address an accumulation of R/As with a need for assessments, the Florida Department of Health (DOH), in partnership with an external provider, stood up a temporary clinic to provide a large volume of R/A assessments for a short-term period. Recommended services including HIV screenings were provided to new arrivals.

Results:
In 2023-2024, 6,507 HIV assessments were conducted at DOH-Orange; of those, 56 were reactive. Percent reactivity of assessments in 2023-2024 was 0.89%, in 2022, prior to the mass screening, it was 1.77%, and in 2019 was 0.79%. The volume of assessments rose from 503 (2019), 395 (2022), 6,507 (2023-2024). Those with reactive assessments in 2023-2024, 85.7% were Black/African American, 86% were Non-Hispanic/Latino. Between pre/post pandemic, the demographic makeup of the R/A clients remained comparable. Reactive assessments were highest among individuals from Haiti or Cuba, 2019 (3/4, 75%), 2022 (7/7, 100%), 2023-2024 (55/56, 98%).

Conclusion:
With the demographic distribution of R/As entering DOH-Orange comes a possible increase in HIV incidence. With foreign-born individuals being at greater risk for AIDS upon HIV diagnoses than U.S.-born individuals, close monitoring is needed among new arrivals for early linkage to care and resource allocation.