Massive U.S. Budget Cuts to AIDS Programs Rejected; ADAP Funds Increased

U.S. Congress and the Obama Administration have rejected many of the proposed budget cuts to domestic and global HIV/AIDS programs, according to The AIDS Institute.

In fact, the final federal spending bill proposes to increase funding to the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) by $48 million and rejects a federal and D.C. funding ban on syringe exchange programs. The final bill does cut research funding at the National Institutes of Health by about $300 million and to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by $730 million, in areas to be determined.

The Hill also reports that contributions to international institutions (including the United Nations) were cut by $377 million, and two programs under health care reform—Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan and the Free Choice Voucher program—were defunded.

Earlier reports from the House Appropriations Committee indicated more than $1 billion in cuts to HIV and disease prevention programs, but according to the AIDS Institute, that was an error.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.


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