CDC Atlanta AIDS Protest: Friday, April 7th, 12:30 PM

AIDS Healthcare Foundation, HIV Activists to Protest CDC Defunding of
Local HIV Service Programs

Cuts Continue Pattern of Defunding Community-Based ASOs Working on
the Frontlines to Fight HIV/AIDS in Gay, Transgender Communities of Color

ATLANTA–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Following a recent decision by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) to defund local, community-based HIV/AIDS service
organizations that work within communities of color, including AID
Atlanta, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) and over 100 HIV/AIDS
activists will hold a peaceful demonstration on Friday, April 7th
at 12:30 PM outside the CDC’s headquarters, located at 1600
Clifton Road
.

According to recent CDC statistics, African Americans account for a
higher proportion of new HIV diagnosis compared to those of other
races/ethnicities, and HIV diagnoses among young African-American gay
and bisexual men (aged 13 to 24) has increased by almost 90%.

Each year, the CDC announces the funding opportunity for PS17-1704, a
federal grant to help community-based organizations implement HIV
prevention programs targeted at young men of color who have sex with men
and young transgender people of color, aged 18-29. Despite many years of
successfully executing community-based programs and initiatives
throughout metro Atlanta, the CDC declined to fund AID Atlanta in its
efforts to continue prevention programs dedicated to this population.
The requested funding was to ensure the continuance of services
including HIV/STI testing, referrals, counseling, and linkage to medical
care. The grant would also support prevention/intervention efforts
including MPowerment, a behavioral intervention program for
African-American men who have sex with men (MSM) and Evolution, which
works directly with black MSM’s age (18-28). The program was originally
funded through March 31, 2017.

“After being recently recognized by the CDC for AID Atlanta’s strong
track record of providing needed services to thousands of people living
with HIV/AIDS in the area, I was absolutely dumbfounded by the CDC’s
decision to deny AID Atlanta’s grant application. With Atlanta
consistently ranking among U.S. cities reporting the highest new rates
of HIV infections, especially among communities of color, ending AID
Atlanta’s federal funding is not only unconscionable but utterly
catastrophic in our efforts to end the spread of HIV among the most
vulnerable populations in our region,” said AID Atlanta Executive
Director Nicole Roebuck. “Without these dollars, the programs
that we have successfully administered for years will be immediately
stopped.”

AID Atlanta, like many community-based AIDS service organizations (ASOs)
across the country, continues to maintain operations and the continuance
of community-focused testing, awareness and prevention programs through
the support of federal funds, like those offered by the CDC.

According to the CDC, the state of Georgia ranks 5th in the
nation in terms of new HIV diagnoses, with a majority of those being
African Americans and specifically African-American gay or bisexual men.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS
organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over
720,000 individuals in 38 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin
America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn
more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org,
find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth
and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare
and Instagram: @aidshealthcare

Contacts

AHF Southern Bureau
Imara Canady
Regional Director,
Communications and Community Engagement
+1.404.870.7789 work
+1.954.952.0258
mobile
imara.canady@aidshealth.org

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