The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will provide $68 million to the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, a large-scale treatment program that serves approximately 500,000 people with HIV. Announced The grant, announced last Wednesday by HHS’s Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), will be specifically targeted to women and children living with HIV.
“HHS is committed to keeping new mothers and babies healthy and ensuring access to and delivery of critical health services, including care for people living with HIV,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. He said in a statement. “The funding HRSA is announcing today will provide resources to advance the health and well-being of women, infants, and children in communities across the nation.”
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Republicans cut HIV/AIDS spending by more than $400 million in next year’s budget
Last year, Republicans tried to cut HIV prevention funding, but the committee rejected the budget cuts.
The funding marks the latest development in the Biden-Harris Administration’s HIV/AIDS response strategy, which aims to reduce new HIV infections by 90% by 2030.
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The funding will particularly benefit marginalized, low-income people living with HIV, as numerous studies have shown that black women remain disproportionately affected by the disease, with more than half of women living with HIV being black.
This focused effort benefits approximately 200,000 women who receive care through the program. Treatment through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program has achieved viral suppression in approximately 90 percent of women served.
The announcement was made at HRSA’s Strengthening Maternal Health Initiative, a gathering of leaders, activists and policymakers at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland, to raise funding and awareness for mothers living with HIV.
“We know that many women with HIV continue to face barriers to accessing HIV care and treatment, including stigma and lack of social supports,” said HRSA Administrator Carol Johnson. It said in a statement.
“Through this funding, community-based organizations across the country will be able to provide life-saving, culturally sensitive HIV care, helping women with HIV get the medical care they need so they can live longer, healthier lives,” Johnson added.
Source: LGBTQ Nation – www.lgbtqnation.com
