November 1, 2007

Ohio to Forgo HIV/AIDS Funds for Youths

The state of Ohio is not accepting federal money intended to tackle HIV/AIDS rates in teenagers because it doesn’t have the staff or HIV prevention program to effectively utilize it, say state education officials (Cleveland.com, 10/30).

Ohio and Utah are the only two states in the nation that are turning down the HIV funding. The Ohio officials said that they would not apply for the $1.25 million offered to the state by the federal government over the next five years.

Experts and advocates say that HIV infections in some parts of Ohio, such as Cleveland, have jumped in recent years, and that they don’t understand why the state won’t pursue the funds.

“I don't think we have the luxury, given how AIDS and HIV numbers have spiked, to miss any opportunity to get better education and to get better support into the state,” said Marcia Egbert, a senior program officer for health and human services at the George Gund Foundation, a Cleveland-based human rights organization.

Each state must present a five-year plan for tackling HIV in youth in order to receive a grant. A spokesperson for the education department said that Ohio doesn’t have a program, and developing one would require changes to the state’s health education policies.