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GAY MEN'S HEALTH CRISIS DENOUNCES 22% CUT
IN MINORITY AIDS INITIATIVE FUNDS FOR NEW YORK CITY
New York, NY—Gay Men's Health Crisis denounced the draconian $2.6 million (or 22%) cut to New York City's Minority AIDS Initiative made known to GMHC late yesterday, part of an overall $10.2 million cut in Ryan White funds to the New York City Eligible Metropolitan Area for 2007.
"We know that the number of New Yorkers living with HIV and AIDS continues to grow each year," said Dr. Marjorie Hill, Chief Executive Officer of Gay Men's Health Crisis. "We also know that black and Latino New Yorkers are more likely to become diagnosed with AIDS, and die faster from AIDS than white New Yorkers. It is therefore unconscionable to cut funding for the Minority AIDS Initiative. Congress must act to rectify this injustice."
The number of New Yorkers living with HIV or AIDS has increased 25% from 2000 to 2007, from 78,013 individuals to 97,524. More than 80% of new AIDS diagnoses are among black and Hispanic New Yorkers. New York has more people living with HIV and AIDS than any other city in America. Yet despite these data, Minority AIDS Initiative funds for New York under the Ryan White Act were slashed, GMHC learned yesterday.
The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act changed the manner in which federal funds for HIV/AIDS treatment and care are distributed. However, it was the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), not Congress, which placed a cap on New York's Minority AIDS Initiative (MAI) award. In 2006 New York received $11.9 million under the MAI; this year it will receive $9.3 million. Altogether New York's Ryan White award was slashed from $120.4 million last year to $110.2 million this year when formula, supplemental, and Minority AIDS Initiative funds are totaled, an 8% overall cut.
According to New York City's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, gay and bisexual men of all races and blacks and Latinos of all sexual orientations remain disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. One in four men who have sex with men living in Chelsea have HIV or AIDS, as do one in five black men age 40–49 in Manhattan. Black men in New York are six times as likely to die of AIDS as white men; black women are nine times as likely to die of AIDS as white women. Hispanic men and women are four times as likely to die from AIDS as non-Hispanic white men and women.
"Ryan White funds critical services such as nutrition, counseling, emergency housing help, care and treatment and much more," Dr. Hill explained. "We don't know which services will suffer as a result of this funding reduction, but we do know that we cannot afford cuts to any of these without placing the lives and well-being of New Yorkers with HIV in serious jeopardy."
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Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC) is a not-for-profit, volunteer-supported
and community-based organization committed to national leadership in the
fight against AIDS. Our mission is to reduce the spread of HIV disease,
help people with HIV maintain and improve their health and independence,
and keep the prevention, treatment and cure of HIV an urgent national and
local priority. In fulfilling this mission, we will remain true to our
heritage by fighting homophobia and affirming the individual dignity of
all gay men and lesbians. We provide services and programs to over
15,000 men, women and families that are living with or affected by
HIV/AIDS in New York City. For more information, please visit www.gmhc.org.
© 2007 Gay Men's Health Crisis
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