Statement by IAPAC President/CEO Dr. José M. Zuniga
14 July 2023, Washington, DC
BACKGROUND: The US House of Representatives Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee has proposed its spending bill for fiscal year 2024. The bill essentially eliminates funding for the US Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative, which was launched in 2019 during the Trump Administration. Additional cuts are wide-ranging: $238.5 million from the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program; $226 million from the CDC National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention; and $32 million from the Minority HIV/AIDS Fund.
“The International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC) denounces draconian and harmful proposed cuts to US domestic HIV funding that would reverse progress made in efforts to end the HIV epidemic in the United States. We also call upon members of both the US House of Representatives and US Senate to reject efforts to gut the US HIV response at a time when measurable progress has been made in averting new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths.
Given this progress, why would the US Congress wish to flush the American people’s investment down the drain? And, why, by further cutting programs that create enabling environments for positive health outcomes, would the US Congress reinforce disparity, inequity, and inequality in access to HIV services? Given the bipartisan support ending the HIV epidemic has enjoyed over many years, the generosity of the American people, and proof of concept that we can move the needle in relation to new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths, the US Congress should do the right thing and reject efforts to gut the US HIV response.”
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About the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care
Representing 30,000 members, the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC) is the largest association of clinicians and allied health professionals working to end the epidemics of HIV and tuberculosis (TB), as well as eliminate HBV and HCV, by 2030. IAPAC is also a core technical partner to the Fast-Track Cities network and the Secretariat for its Fast-Track Cities Institute. For more information about IAPAC, please visit: https://www.iapac.org/
