The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), awarded $1,532,149 to expand access to HIV care, treatment, medication, and prevention services in Missouri. These three awards are a critical component of the Administration’s Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America (EHE) initiative, which aims to reduce the number of new HIV infections in the United States by 90 percent by 2030.
“HRSA is a leader in working to end the HIV epidemic in the U.S.,” said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. “These investments will support partnerships between organizations that are on the front lines of preventing and reducing HIV transmission, as well as improving the overall health outcomes for people with HIV.”
HRSA’s Health Center Program awards will be used to identify at-risk individuals in Missouri and engage in prevention services, test for HIV, and prescribe pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) where appropriate. Awards made to HRSA’s Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program recipients will be used to link people with HIV who are either newly diagnosed, or diagnosed but currently not in care, to essential HIV care, treatment, and support services, helping them reach viral suppression and reduce HIV transmission.
“Today’s awards bolster HRSA programs that play a critical role in communities hardest hit by the HIV epidemic to ensure people have access to the services they need,” said HRSA Administrator Tom Engels. “More than half a million people with diagnosed HIV in the U.S. receive services through HRSA’s Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program each year, and HRSA-funded health centers are a key point of entry for people at risk for or undiagnosed with HIV, providing over two million HIV tests to patients annually.”
HRSA awarded $532,149 to two health centers in Missouri with service delivery sites in geographic locations identified by the EHE initiative. This first-of-its-kind program emphasizes outreach, HIV testing, partnerships, and workforce expansion to increase access to and use of PrEP, as well as linking individuals who test positive for HIV to treatment.
HRSA awarded $1,000,000 to one Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program recipient in Missouri to link people with HIV who are either newly diagnosed, or are diagnosed but currently not in care, to essential HIV care and treatment and support services, as well as to provide workforce training and technical assistance.
Nationally, HRSA awarded $117 million to 48 counties, Washington, D.C., and San Juan, Puerto Rico, areas where more than 50 percent of new HIV diagnoses occurred in 2016 and 2017. Additionally, Missouri is among seven states identified with a substantial rural HIV burden. The list of award recipients is available here:
Health Center Program: https://bphc.hrsa.gov/program-opportunities/primary-care-hiv-prevention/fy2020-awards
Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program: https://hab.hrsa.gov/about-ryan-white-hivaids-program/fy2020-ending-hiv-epidemic-awards
