No Turning Back

Helping Communities Fight HIV

CDC provides local communities with extensive financial support and technical guidance to implement effective strategies to prevent HIV transmission. In 2000, the agency provided more than $300 million in funding for HIV prevention activities in communities throughout the country. This funding enables community-based groups to provide targeted, culturally appropriate, science-based prevention programs for populations at greatest risk of HIV infection.

State and Local Programs

The largest single share of CDC's HIV prevention funding -- $262.5 million in 2000 -- flows to state and local health departments. Health departments fund local prevention programs through the "community planning" process. Under this approach, special committees, comprised of health department and community representatives, collaborate to determine local priorities for HIV prevention based on data on the local epidemic, existing community resources, and science on the most effective prevention interventions.

The greatest proportion of state and local prevention funds goes toward counseling and testing and risk reduction strategies for high-risk communities. Of the $155.8 million for these programs in 2000, $49.8 million, or 32% percent of the total, was targeted to MSM. While considerable, this funding does not fully respond at present to the level of HIV transmission among MSM, who currently account for 42 percent of estimated new infections. This discrepancy indicates that there are remaining gaps in prevention services to be addressed. In some locales, state and local health departments may be addressing this discrepancy with non-federal funds.

CDC monitors spending by state and local health department grantees to ensure that prevention funding is allocated appropriately, according to the best available epidemiologic evidence. The agency is working with state and local health departments to address shortfalls in prevention funding for MSM at the community level.

Direct Funding of Community Organizations

Although community planning is the principal route of funding for community-based HIV prevention efforts, CDC also provided $46.7 million in 2000 in direct support for community-based organizations for HIV prevention activities to address any gaps in prevention not addressed through 21 community planning. Overall in 2000, CDC provided over $19 million in direct funding to community-based organizations delivering HIV prevention programs targeting MSM, with the majority of these organizations serving MSM of color. To expand these prevention efforts for young MSM of color, in 2001, CDC provided an additional $7.5 million in support to community-based organizations to develop and implement programs tailored to the needs of these populations.

Strengthening Local Organizations

In many minority communities, effective delivery of HIV prevention services is impeded by a lack of adequate infrastructure. In particular, more organizations run by and for MSM of color -- operating with greater support and resources -- are needed to address the HIV crisis in that population.

Recognizing this lack of infrastructure in some communities, CDC funds national and regional minority organizations to provide consultation, training, and other forms of technical assistance to local community groups. In 2000, CDC provided over $17 million in capacity building funding to organizations serving MSM of color. In 2001, CDC provided an additional $2.5 million in capacity building assistance.