“HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute fully supports the PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2021 and urges Congress to swiftly pass it. It addresses many of the coverage and affordability issues responsible for low uptake of PrEP and will be essential as new PrEP drugs become available. While there are government programs for people living with HIV and other prevention programs, there isn’t a comprehensive nationwide program for PrEP,” said Carl Schmid, Executive Director of the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute.
Hopeful Signs of Progress in Ending HIV in the United States: New Biden Strategic Plan & Congressional Bills to Establish National PrEP Programs
“As we mark World AIDS Day on December 1st, despite all the recent setbacks due to the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic, there is hope on the horizon for ending HIV in the United States,” said Carl Schmid, executive director of the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute. “President Biden is set to release an updated National HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan and several bills have been or are about to be introduced in Congress to establish a national PrEP program to prevent HIV. Additionally, Congress is poised to increase funding for domestic HIV programs for the year ahead. Taken together, these are hopeful signs. However, for these well-intentioned plans to be implemented, much work still needs to occur.”
Senate Appropriations leadership proposes significant increases for domestic HIV programs: Hepatitis programs left flat-funded
The leadership of the United States Senate Appropriations Committee is proposing to significantly increase funding to continue to ramp up efforts to end HIV in the United States. Like the House, the Senate bills include increased funding for the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. initiative by at least $245 million for domestic HIV testing, prevention, treatment, and research programs. This matches the amount proposed in President Biden’s budget.
House Supports Significant Funding Increases for Domestic HIV Programs: Minimal Increase for Hepatitis Programs
The US House of Representatives is proposing to significantly increase funding to continue to ramp up efforts to end HIV in the United States. In addition to an increase of $245 million for domestic HIV testing, prevention, and treatment programs as part of the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative, which matches the amount proposed in President Joe Biden’s budget, the Appropriations Committee in its FY22 Labor, HHS appropriations bill is proposing an $146 million increase to the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, (+$100 million over Biden’s budget) and $190 million more for NIH AIDS Research that was not included in the president’s budget. The House is only including an increase of $5 million for CDC’s hepatitis division for a total of $44.5 million.
Biden Budget Proposes Increased Funding for Ending HIV
Washington DC… In President Biden’s first preliminary budget that was released today, he is proposing to continue to ramp up efforts to end HIV in the United States with an increase of $267 million for domestic HIV testing, prevention, and treatment programs as part of the Ending the HIV Epidemic Initiative.