HIV/AIDS Groups Send Letter To House Appropriators Calling For $200M Increase In Federal Funding For Prevention Programs

Main Category: HIV / AIDS
Article Date: 12 Sep 2008 - 5:00 PDT

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A group of 70 HIV/AIDS advocacy and service organizations recently sent a letter to House Appropriations Chair David Obey (D-Wis.) and Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee ranking member James Walsh (R-N.Y.) to call for a $200 million increase in federal funding for prevention programs in fiscal year 2009, CQ HealthBeat reports. In the letter, the groups made the connection between federal funding and the efficacy of HIV prevention programs, according to CQ HealthBeat. CDC data indicate that annual new infections in the U.S. decreased from 130,000 in the late 1980s to 50,000 in the early 1990s, the letter said, adding that during this time period, CDC's budget increased by 50%. However, CDC in August released a report indicating that 56,300 new infections occurred in 2006 -- an increase over the longstanding estimate of 40,000 annual new infections. "It is imperative that Congress respond immediately to alarming new incidence numbers and provide CDC additional funding to ramp up its prevention efforts," the letter said (Straus, CQ HealthBeat, 9/10).

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