The US Department of Health and Human Services on Friday announced approximately $2.27 billion in Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program grants were awarded to cities, counties, states, and local community-based organizations in fiscal year (FY) 2019.

This funding, through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), supports a comprehensive system of HIV primary medical care, medication, and essential support services to more than half a million people with HIV in the USA.

“The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program has played a major role in the in the improved outcomes we see for Americans with HIV,” said HHS Secretary Alex Azar, explaining: “Thanks to expanded access to treatment and medical advances, HIV/AIDS has gone from being a likely death sentence to a condition that allows a nearly normal lifespan if properly treated. Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program clients, despite often very challenging circumstances, have a viral suppression rate that far exceeds the national average.”

Program cares for the needs of the whole person

He continued: “The successes of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program are in part thanks to how the program cares for the needs of the whole person, including non-health factors. With President Trump’s new initiative to end the HIV epidemic in America by 2030, we will build on the successes of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program to connect Americans, especially in the communities most at risk, to the treatment and prevention services they need.”

“For nearly three decades, HRSA’s Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program has played a critical role in the United States’ response to ending the HIV epidemic,” said HRSA acting administrator Tom Engels. “These grants will help ensure that Americans with HIV/AIDS have access to life-saving care and treatment needed to improve their health quality and medical outcomes,” he added.

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