FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 20, 2018

CONTACT: Kyle Murphy, 202-876-2820, kmurphy@aidsunited.org

Washington, DC – The nation’s five leading organizations focused on ending the HIV, STD, and hepatitis epidemics in the United States – AIDS United, NASTAD, the National Coalition of STD Directors, NMAC, and The AIDS Institute – are shocked and deeply troubled by a notification of transfer that the Trump administration plans to divert funding from the current fiscal year for HIV/AIDS, STD, and hepatitis care, treatment, and prevention and other public health programs to cover the rising costs in the Unaccompanied Alien Children Program. The fact that these funds are a part of the current fiscal year and could still be allocated to programs serving people living with and at risk for HIV, STDs, and hepatitis is especially egregious and runs counter to our stated national goals to end these epidemics and improve lives and health across the United States.

The funds at stake are meant for the public health safety net and funding for these programs matter. They represent the country’s strategies, commitments, and needed arsenals to tackling these epidemics. The Trump Administration has stated earlier this year in the Progress Report on the National HIV/AIDS Strategy that they are committed to ending the HIV epidemic, but this transfer of funds moves in the completely in the opposite direction of these promises. This potential loss of funds could directly impact people living with, affected by, or vulnerable to HIV, STDs, viral hepatitis, and those at the intersections of these epidemics. We urge the Administration and Congress to seek new funding to address the growing problem of unaccompanied immigrant minors, which was recently exacerbated by the Trump Administration’s policy to separate families at the border.

Of the $186 million of HHS funding that was transferred, the following HIV, STD, and hepatitis programs were impacted by the transfers: Ryan White HIV/AIDS ADAP Program ($5.8 million), CDC HIV Prevention ($2.6 million), CDC STD Prevention ($558,000), CDC Viral Hepatitis ($138,000), and the Minority AIDS Initiative ($1.2 million).