This past Monday, the federal government announced that it has allocated nearly $2 billion in funding to states to fight the HIV epidemic, with access to care and with more cash for the failing AIDS Drug Assistance Program [ADAP].
According to an Health and Human Services press release, $813 million of that money will go directly to ADAP programming, while an additional $8.3 million will be issued as a supplement to 36 states and territories currently facing a crisis of unmet needs and access issues. The additional money is designed to help those programs reduce or eliminate their waiting lists.
ADAP provides access to the costly anti-retroviral medications that have turned HIV into a more manageable disease; many HIV drugs can cost tens of thousands of dollars a year in the US. ADAP also assists in paying for drugs to treat opportunistic infections that HIV+ persons can suffer as a result of diminished immune functions.
This is great news for those people on a "waiting list" to see if they can get their medications. As of September 22, 2010, there were some 9,000, in ten states--including South Carolina--on waiting lists.
In addition to allocating new funds to ADAP, the feds also announced millions in funding for direct medical care as well as programming to assist minorities--who are particularly hard hit by the HIV/AIDS epidemic--in accessing medical care for the infection.
Finally, it seems, someone is listening.
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Thank goodness for this!
ReplyDeletePlease be advised that this isn't the Feds coming to the rescue, but rather the Feds releasing the annual appropriation approved by Congress and the President. Aside from the nearly $50 million in new money for the cash-strapped ADAPs (which is far below the $300+ million that is needed), there is NO new money here. This will help the ADAP waiting lists in the very short term, but the lists will begin growing again.
ReplyDelete-- ADAP Advocacy Association
that is good
ReplyDelete