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Michigan AIDS organizations are bracing for federal cuts in HIV prevention funding, as CDC focuses resources on areas with high or increasing HIV rates. In July, CDC notified Michigan AIDS organizations of large cuts to be phased-in during fiscal years 2012-16.
For fiscal 2012, Michigan will lose up to $1.2 million in “core” prevention money, the primary funding source for HIV testing in local health departments, partner services, health education, and risk reduction. The cut increases to $2.1 million by fiscal 2014 as the new funding formula is fully implemented. The state also could lose up to $883,000 in CDC money for HIV testing in health care settings; this amounts to about 35 percent of awards for testing in STD clinics, emergency departments, community health care facilities, and prisons.
In August, CDC reported a large increase in new HIV infections between 2006 and 2009 among minority men who have sex with men. “That’s the same thing that’s happening in our state, particularly African-American men who have sex with men,” said Hank Milbourne of AIDS Partnership Michigan. “We are seeing, and we have been seeing since 2006, increasingly among African-American MSM between 13 and 24, increasing rates while all other age groups remain relatively stable.”
“What it will mean is reduced services for those most impacted populations,” Milbourne said. “It can’t mean anything else but that. I think we’re doing good work. I think we’re on the right track. I’d hate to see us lose the momentum that we have.”
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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