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Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 sequestration
and budget cuts threatened HIV research, prevention, and care even though lower
HIV funding would result in “small deficit reduction benefits,” according to
Kali Lindsey, director of legislative and public affairs for the National
Minority AIDS Council. amfAR: The Foundation for AIDS Research estimated that
sequestration would eliminate AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) funding for
more than 15,000 HIV-infected people, cause loss of housing for 5,000
households, eliminate 460 research grants, and cut HIV prevention services.
Funding cuts for CDC’s HIV prevention programs would total $64.7 million, with
$27.6 million less for HIV prevention and $2.4 million less for HIV adolescent
and school health programs. The AIDS Institute estimated that sequestration and
budget cuts have reduced federal government domestic HIV/AIDS spending by $375
million.
In response to ADAP funding
shortfalls, the Obama Administration transferred $35 million in emergency
funding to cover medications for HIV patients in 2013. On July 11, the Senate
Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and
Related Agencies passed an FY14 spending bill that would increase Ryan White
HIV/AIDS program spending by $51 million more than FY13 levels, provide an additional
$47 million for ADAP, increase National Institutes of Health research funding,
and maintain CDC HIV prevention funding at $755 million. Only four percent of
domestic HIV spending targeted prevention.
In contrast, the US House of
Representative’s budget recommended an additional $1.1 billion in funding cuts
for domestic HIV/AIDS response. It was not clear how the Senate and House of
Representatives would resolve the difference in their budget reduction
approaches.
HIV advocates outlined research breakthroughs
that would not have been possible without federal funding: progress in HIV
vaccines, pre-exposure prophylaxis, development of microbicides, treatment as
prevention, prevention of vertical transmission, and research into voluntary
circumcision for prevention. In 2012, the United States supplied 70 percent of
HIV prevention research worldwide.
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.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
