Though Maryland has one of the country’s highest AIDS rates, the state is facing a 40 percent reduction in federal HIV/AIDS funds, reports The Baltimore Sun (baltimoresun.com, 2/13).
According to the Sun, the state is facing a cut from $1.8 million last year to about $1 million in 2008, which would mean the elimination of various HIV-related services and funds for testing and surveillance.
“I think the main issue is that we are third in the country for AIDS case rates, so I find it alarming that the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] would jeopardize our surveillance system at a time when we obviously have a significant burden of the epidemic,” said Heather Hauck, director of the state AIDS Administration.
According to the article, a CDC spokesperson said that some of the grants that the state received in the past were “time-limited” and not automatically guaranteed to continue. States underwent an “objective review process,” reports the Sun, to determine the amount of funds they would receive.
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mike, Baltimore, 2008-02-14 13:12:04
Surely Maryland gets more than 1.8 million Ryan White dollars from the federal government? Stating that the state is losing 40% of its funding is misleading. Maybe one grant category was cut 40%?
"I'm HIV positive and diabetic (as well as have high cholesterol) and some of my meds specify taking them with 'high fat foods' which I have to do twice a day. I've eaten as healthy as possible, but when it comes to high fat foods, I am in a quandary...about what to eat sometimes..."
