Press Release The Budget and Beyond -- A Call to Action for the HIV/AIDS Community and Government OfficialsWhat We Need Beyond Increased Funding to End HIV/AIDS in the U.S.
February 3, 2010 An editorial by Ravinia Hayes-Cozier, Director of Government Relations and Public Policy at the National Minority AIDS Council Washington, D.C. -- While we applaud the President's request to increase HIV/AIDS funding by $40 million (1.7%) in the FY2011 budget, I am concerned that this number falls short after the 8 years of flat-funding under the previous Administration. Sometimes we count our blessings no matter how small they are, but we should never turn a blind eye to fully funding what is needed to care and treat and prevent HIV/AIDS. The budget, the framework of how we spend resources, impacts the major federal agencies that oversee HIV/AIDS programming in the U.S. As HIV/AIDS advocates, we must hold government officials accountable during the appropriations process: it is imperative that AIDS dollars are disbursed in a manner that reflects the impact of the epidemic. The AIDS community -- and federal agencies -- must look beyond HIV funding when it comes to mitigating HIV/AIDS in the U.S. We must address the socio-economic determinants that have undermined the overall health and welfare of communities heavily impacted by AIDS: lack of affordable housing; limited access to education and health care; and high rates of malnutrition, substance use, incarceration and poverty. These determinants have helped lay the foundation for HIV/AIDS in minority communities and must be addressed through the allocation of appropriate resources -- and the will of the AIDS community. I believe that re-investment in America's health infrastructure through health reform and increased HIV/AIDS funding will lead us into an era where sound public policy, evidence-based health and HIV/AIDS programming; and community meet and produce great outcomes. ![]() President's Budget on HIV/AIDS: Key Programs Protected, but More Funding Needed to Meet Growing Demand for Care ![]()
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