South Carolina Activists, Lawmakers Urge Congress to Reauthorize AIDS Act

On Thursday, the South Carolina Black Caucus and the National Minority Health Month Foundation (NMHMF) called on Congress to reauthorize and update the Ryan White CARE Act. Funding for the disease, the groups said, does not reflect the shift of HIV/AIDS from major cities to rural areas and the South.

"We've got a system that was structured to support the care of HIV and AIDS patients in cities like New York, San Francisco, and Miami," said Gary Puckrein, executive director of NMHMF. "Now the disease is spreading to the rural community and to the minority communities, and the dollars have not followed."

According to NMHMF, the number of new AIDS cases has dropped states in the Northeast and West in recent years, while the South witnessed a 13 percent spike between 1999 and 2003. And the black community, said Puckrein, has been particularly affected by the epidemic.

In 2004, South Carolina ranked 14th among states in the number of new AIDS cases, CDC reported. Although it has the same number of HIV/AIDS cases as Connecticut, South Carolina receives about $1,000 less per patient, said Puckrein.

Some state lawmakers worry that without more money, the disease will become further entrenched. "We are a poor state, and we simply don't have the resources to fight this disease on our own," said Rep. Joe Neal (D-Hopkins). "We need help."

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