Oklahoma is set to receive nearly $2 million to combat the AIDS epidemic by expanding access to HIV care, treatment, medication and prevention services across the Sooner state. The five awards are a critical component of the government’s Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America (EHE) initiative. The program aims to reduce the number of new HIV infections in the United States by 90 percent by 2030.
“HRSA is a leader in working to end the HIV epidemic in the U.S.,” said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. “These investments will support partnerships between organizations that are on the front lines of preventing and reducing HIV transmission, as well as improving the overall health outcomes for people with HIV.” HRSA’s Health Center Program awards will be used to identify at-risk individuals in Oklahoma and engage in prevention services, test for HIV, and prescribe pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) where appropriate.
Awards made to HRSA’s Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program recipients will be used to link people with HIV who are either newly diagnosed, or diagnosed but currently not in care, to essential HIV care, treatment, and support services, helping them reach viral suppression and reduce HIV transmission. “Today’s awards bolster HRSA programs that play a critical role in communities hardest hit by the HIV epidemic to ensure people have access to the services they need,” said HRSA Administrator Tom Engels. “More than half a million people with diagnosed HIV in the U.S. receive services through HRSA’s Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program each year. HRSA-funded health centers are a key point of entry for people at risk for, or undiagnosed with HIV, providing over two million HIV tests to patients annually.”
HRSA awarded $1,058,416 to four health centers in Oklahoma with service delivery sites in geographic locations identified by the EHE initiative. This first-of-its-kind program emphasizes outreach, HIV testing, partnerships, and workforce expansion to increase access to, and use of, PrEP, as well as linking individuals who test positive for HIV to treatment. HRSA also awarded $750,000 to one Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program recipient in Oklahoma to link people with HIV who are either newly diagnosed or are diagnosed but currently not in care, to essential HIV care and treatment and support services, as well as to provide workforce training and technical assistance.
Nationally, HRSA awarded $117 million to 48 counties, Washington, D.C., and San Juan, Puerto Rico, areas where more than 50 percent of new HIV diagnoses occurred in 2016 and 2017. Additionally, Oklahoma is among seven states identified with a substantial rural HIV burden. The list of award recipients are available here: Health Center Program: https://bphc.hrsa.gov/ program-opportunities/ primary-care-hiv-prevention/ fy2020-awards Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program: https://hab.hrsa.gov/ about-ryan-white-hivaids- program/fy2020-ending- hiv-epidemic-awards
For more information on efforts to end the HIV Epidemic initiative and HRSA’s role, visit www.hrsa.gov/ ending-hiv-epidemic. For more information about HRSA’s Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, visit https://www.hab.hrsa.gov. To learn more about HRSA’s Health Center Program, visit: https://bphc.hrsa.gov.