HIV/AIDS Funding
Statistics clearly demonstrate that the AIDS epidemic is far from over and much more work remains to be done. For a decade, few potent treatments for HIV were available. Today, promising new drug therapies have brought new hope and new challenges to the battle against the AIDS epidemic. However, these drugs do not constitute a cure, and an effective vaccine is still not available.
Nevertheless, in the United States, AIDS deaths have declined dramatically and more people with HIV are living longer. Nearly half of all new AIDS cases are occurring among gay and bisexual men and the disease continue to disproportionately affect communities of color. These trends translate into an increase, rather than a decrease, in the overall need for health care, drug treatment and social services.
Our nation's response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic must be comprehensive in nature — including appropriate resources for prevention, research, housing, care and treatment.
While many federal programs are critical to those living with HIV/AIDS, we highlight four program needs: funding for the Ryan White CARE Act, prevention programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, research at the National Institutes of Health and the Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS program at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Federal AIDS Policy Partnership, of which the Human Rights Campaign is a member, compiles a comprehensive list of federal programs and identified needs, entitled AIDS Appropriations Recommendations.
