Illinois Program Aims to Curb Spread of HIV, Raise Awareness About State Services

The Illinois Public Health Association and the St. Clair County Health Department have launched an outreach program that aims to curb the spread of HIV in southwestern Illinois by raising awareness about state services, the Belleville News-Democrat reports. The initiative, called Illinois HIV Care Connect, is funded by the Illinois Department of Public Health through Ryan White Program grants. It provides confidential case management services to all HIV-positive people, in addition to health and support services to people who meet eligibility requirements. HIV-positive people who enroll in the program could quality for services such as outpatient medical care, mental health services, oral health care, nutritional services, and substance abuse treatment and counseling.

Illinois HIV Care Connect also aims to increase HIV/AIDS awareness among health care providers and encourage corrections officials to refer HIV-positive inmates to state services. The state health department estimates that about one-quarter of HIV-positive people in Illinois are not aware of their status (Bowen, Belleville News-Democrat, 4/23).