HHS Awards $2.34 Billion in Grants to Help Americans Access HIV/AIDS Care and Medication

Cross-posted from HHS Press Office

Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that approximately $2.34 billion in Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program grants were awarded to cities, counties, states, and local community-based organizations in fiscal year (FY) 2018. 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 living with HIV in the United States.

"New medical advances and broader access to treatment have helped transform HIV/AIDS from a likely death sentence into a manageable chronic disease," said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. "The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program is an important way to ensure that these life-saving treatments reach the Americans who need them, and the Trump Administration is committed to continuing to improve the care by Americans living with HIV/AIDS receive."

"The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program plays a vital role in the United States' public health response to ending the HIV epidemic," said HRSA Administrator George Sigounas, M.S., Ph.D. "These grants will help ensure that the most vulnerable Americans living with HIV/AIDS have access to life-saving care and treatment needed to improve their health quality and medical outcomes."

HRSA oversees the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, which is a patient-centered system that provides care and treatment services to low income people living with HIV to improve health outcomes and reduce HIV transmission among hard to reach populations. The program serves approximately 50 percent of people living with diagnosed HIV infection in the United States. In 2016, approximately 85 percent of Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program clients who received HIV medical care were virally suppressed, up from 69 percent in 2010.

"The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program is critical to improving clinical and public health outcomes by reducing HIV transmission and serves as an important source of ongoing access to HIV treatment and antiretroviral medication," said Laura Cheever, M.D., Sc.M., Associate Administrator, HIV/AIDS Bureau. "Today people living with HIV who take HIV medication daily as prescribed and who achieve and maintain an undetectable viral load have effectively no risk of sexually transmitting the virus to an HIV-negative partner."

Under Part A of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, approximately $624.3 million was awarded to 52 metropolitan areas to provide core medical and support services for people living with HIV. These grants were awarded to 24 eligible metropolitan areas and 28 transitional grant areas with the highest number of people living with HIV and AIDS and experiencing increases in HIV and AIDS cases and emerging care needs. For a list of the FY 2018 Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part A award recipients, visit https://hab.hrsa.gov/awards/fy-2018-ryan-white-hivaids-program-part-a-final-awards.

Under Part B of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, approximately $1.4 billion was awarded to 59 states and territories to improve the quality, availability and organization of HIV health care and support services and for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). Additionally, 16 states received Emerging Community grants based on the number of AIDS cases over the most recent five-year period. Thirty-three states and territories were also awarded approximately $10.5 million in Part B Minority AIDS Initiative grants. For a list of the FY 2018 Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part B award recipients, visit https://hab.hrsa.gov/awards/fy-2018-ryan-white-hivaids-program-part-b-grant-awards.

Under Part C Early Intervention Services (EIS) of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, approximately $181.9 million was awarded across the country to 351 local, community-based organizations to provide core medical and support services to people living with HIV. Additionally, 52 organizations were awarded approximately $6.9 million in Part C Capacity Development grants. For a list of the FY 2018 Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part C EIS award recipients, visit https://hab.hrsa.gov/awards/fy-2018-ryan-white-hivaids-program-part-c-early-intervention-services-eis-awards. For a list of the FY 2018 Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part C Capacity Development award recipients, visit https://hab.hrsa.gov/awards/fy-2018-ryan-white-hivaids-program-part-c-capacity-development-awards.

Under Part D of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, approximately $70.3 million was awarded to 115 local community-based organizations across the country to provide family-centered comprehensive HIV care and treatment for women, infants, children, and youth. For a list of the FY 2018 Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part D award recipients, visit https://hab.hrsa.gov/awards/fy-2018-ryan-white-hivaids-program-part-d-grant-awards.

Under Part F of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, approximately $68.6 million was awarded to support clinical training, oral health services, quality improvement, and the development of innovative models of care through several different programs. Approximately $8.9 million was awarded to 51 recipients through the HIV/AIDS Dental Reimbursement Program, and approximately $3.5 million was awarded to 12 recipients through the HIV/AIDS Community-Based Dental Partnership Program. For a list of the FY 2018 Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part F HIV/AIDS Dental Reimbursement Program award recipients and HIV/AIDS Community-Based Dental Partnership Program award recipients, visit https://hab.hrsa.gov/awards/fy-2018-ryan-white-hivaids-program-part-f-grant-awards.

Also under Part F, the AIDS Education and Training Centers Program (AETC) awarded approximately $31.2 million through 14 grants, cooperative agreements and contracts to support education and training of health care professionals, which includes a network of eight regional and two national centers. For a list of the FY 2018 Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program AETC award recipients, visit https://hab.hrsa.gov/awards/fy-2018-ryan-white-hivaids-program-aids-education-and-training-center-awards.

In addition, $25 million was awarded through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS) Program under Part F, which supports the development of innovative models of care, informing evidence-based interventions with populations living with HIV who are significantly difficult to engage, retain in care, and achieve viral suppression. For a list of current SPNS initiatives, visit here.

Grant awards in FY 2018 also support states, cities, counties, and communities to achieve the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the United States: Updated to 2020. These include efforts to reduce new HIV infections, increase access to HIV care and improve health outcomes for people living with HIV infection, and reduce HIV-related disparities and health inequities.

To learn more about HRSA's Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, visit hab.hrsa.gov. For more information about HIV/AIDS prevention, testing, treatment, and research, visit HIV.gov.