AIDS Action’s Releases New “Snapshots” of the U.S. HIV Epidemic

February 2, 2005

President Bush says: “Reauthorize the Ryan White CARE Act”

(Washington, DC) In his State of the Union address, President Bush asked Congress to reauthorize the Ryan White CARE Act—the most comprehensive legislation dedicated solely to the care and treatment of HIV positive individuals. AIDS Action thanks the President and shares his resolve to ensure that HIV positive individuals receive life-saving care and medical support services through this essential legislation. This evening President Bush made it clear that our federal government must remain committed to responding to the epidemic by providing for the health needs of individuals living with HIV. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that today nearly one million people are living with HIV in the United States.

Since World AIDS Day on December 1, 2004, AIDS Action has asked the White House on numerous occasions for the President to speak decisively about the need for HIV prevention, care, and treatment in the United States in his State of the Union address. AIDS Action thanks him for following through on this very important request for leadership. Further we welcome the White House as a strategic partner in building an important alliance among Congress, the Administration, and the Community to ensure a successful reauthorization.

“The President is on the right path. AIDS Action pledges to work with the Administration and Congress to ensure a CARE Act reauthorization that builds upon successes in domestic HIV programs,” states AIDS Action Executive Director Marsha A. Martin, DSW. She adds, “And as a start, we will send to the White House our principles for reauthorization.”

The principles are as follows:

The Ryan White CARE Act works, and it must be reauthorized.
People living with HIV, especially consumers of CARE Act services, must be a central part of the reauthorization process and provide continued input into CARE Act planning
The existing CARE Act title structure must be maintained to provide the ability to target policies and resources to diverse populations impacted by the AIDS epidemic.
The CARE Act must address current, evolving and ongoing emergency needs of people living with HIV and AIDS and the organizations that serve them.
- Many people with HIV/AIDS are living longer.
- Many people living with HIV/AIDS need access to more treatment and medical support services.
Community planning, coordination with health care systems and local decision-making are central to the success of CARE Act programs.
A comprehensive range of services should be supported; including HIV testing, prevention counseling, treatment and supportive services, which must be available in sufficient quantities, appropriate to local need.
CARE Act funding and program guidance must continue to take into consideration that HIV/AIDS is a life threatening infectious disease that is an ongoing public health emergency.
The CARE Act must commit to:
- Strengthen and reenergize the Planning Councils and Consortia
- Address geographic variability and stabilize necessary and effective systems of care
- Reinvest in maintenance and expansion of service capacity, targeted education and training of health care providers (AETCs), including continuing medical education and systems improvement projects.
The AIDS Drug Assistance Program must remain an essential component of the CARE Act.

AIDS Action strives to end the HIV epidemic by advancing public policies that prevent new infections, provide care for people living with HIV, and support the search for a cure. AIDS Action serves as the national voice for people living with HIV and represents AIDS service organizations, health departments, and a diverse network of community-based organizations across the country.