The leadership of the US Senate Appropriations Committee delivered welcome news recently to HIV and public health advocates with the release of their fiscal year 2022 spending bills. Like their colleagues in the House, the Senate has proposed significant funding increases to the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. initiative with at least $245 million more to focus on increased testing, prevention, treatment, and research programs. This matches the amount proposed in President Biden’s budget and approved by the House.
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Enforcement needed to ensure health-plan compliance with HIV preventive drug requirement
As we begin 2021, almost everyone with private health insurance will have free access to drugs that prevent HIV infection, known as pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP. To start with, it is remarkable that such medications exist, and so important that health care coverage laws emphasize preventive services…
Public health warfare: Conquering COVID-19 and other infectious diseases
“Imagine if we had a treatment for COVID-19 that works nearly 100% of the time, or a cure, and we did not provide it to the people. That is what we are doing today when it comes to HIV and hepatitis C.” …
A better disease fighter
“Missing from the April 21 news article “Testing czar was forced out of vaccine job at Texas A&M” was any mention of Brett Giroir’s most prominent work in the administration: leading a national effort to end HIV in the United States.” …