THE PRESIDENT’S BUDGET, INVESTING IN OUR UPDATED NATIONAL HIV/AIDS STRATEGY
Yesterday, the President released his Fiscal Year 2017 Budgetin which he shows our continued focus on the biggest challenges facing the Nation, not just for the coming year but for decades to come. And that includes advancing the President’s commitment to reaching an AIDS-free generation in the United States.
The Budget focuses on key elements of the updated National HIV/AIDS Strategy, including how important HIV prevention methods, like pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), are to curbing the epidemic. The updated Strategy also underscores the critical role that support services like housing play in the lives of people living with HIV (PLWH) and so, the Budget includes $335 million for the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program. The Budget also includes a $57 million increase for the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure that veterans living with HIV/AIDS get high quality, comprehensive clinical care. Further, it continues to support programs that provide treatment and care completion services, including a $2.3 billion investment in the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Programwith $900 million for the AIDS Drugs Assistance Program. In keeping with the Strategy’s call to address comorbidities, the Budget also includes an exciting new initiative to increase screening and expand access to Hepatitis C care and treatment among people living with HIV. This $9 million investment is part of the Administration’s commitment to improving the lives of people with HIV and ensuring they get the care they need to stay healthy, including for common coinfections like Hepatitis C.