ECHO — Evaluation Center for HIV and Oral Health

There are significant numbers of HIV+ people who experience barriers to comprehensive oral health care services. These barriers and the subsequent unmet oral health need can have an adverse impact on the quality of life for those living with HIV, particularly with regard to treatment regimens, nutritional intake and health outcomes.

The HIV Oral Health Initiative is a 5-year multi-site evaluation and support center funded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) – Division of HIV/AIDS Bureau – Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS).

The fifteen SPNS demonstration sites have been charged with establishing innovative models of oral health care for under-served HIV populations in both urban and rural settings to increase access to oral health care and services.

The multi-site evaluation will be conducted by the Health and Disability Working Group at the Boston University School of Public Health under the project titled ECHO (The Evaluation Center on HIV and Oral Health).

As the Evaluation Center for HIV and Oral Health, our main activities include:

• Coordination of the multi-site evaluation
• Provision of technical assistance
• Dissemination of information and materials.