What Are We Going To Do About ADAP?
NMAC’s June Stakeholder Call
Tuesday, June 15th at 1:00 PM (Eastern)/10:00 AM (Pacific)

What are we going to do about the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP)? With over 1000 people on ADAP waiting list and the potential for many more names, this is a program is crisis. Beyond the numbers, this is also a human tragedy, impacting individual’s lives and health.

Save the date for the National Minority AIDS Council’s (NMAC’s) June Stakeholder Call on Tuesday, June 15th at 1:00 p.m. EST/ 10:00 AM Pacific, featuring guest speakers from the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD/http://www.nastad.org) staff Julie Scofield, Ann Lefert and Beth Crustsing-Perry. The call in number is 1-605-475-6333; code: 481162. You may e-mail your questions to info@nmac.org or send them through Twitter: http://twitter.com/NMACCommunity

We will also do a plenary at this year’s United States Conference on AIDS on the ADAP Crisis. For more information on USCA, please go to http://www.2010USCA.org, or http://www.twitter.com/2010usca

The call will be a dialogue between NASATD and myself. We’ve asked them to update us on ADAP, the challenges of running these programs and what the future holds for ADAP and people on waiting lists.

The call will be limited to the first 200 participants. The call will be recorded and podcast on NMAC’s web site at a later date.

From NASTAD in March 2010

A Coordinated Strategy to Save America’s ADAPs
AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAP) play a key role in the federal and state response to the U.S. domestic AIDS epidemic by providing medications to individuals who are living with HIV and are uninsured or underinsured. ADAPs, as critical safety net programs, are at the center of a perfect storm brought on by the extended economic downturn. ADAP enrollment and utilization are rapidly increasing while federal appropriations have barely risen, state allocations are shrinking due to state fiscal crises, and drug costs continue to climb.

As a result, many ADAPs are experiencing a fiscal crisis which is rapidly expanding, as documented in NASTAD’s March 9, 2010 ADAP Watch. This crisis contributes to a variety of cost containment measures and access restrictions for ADAP, including waiting lists, eligibility and formulary reductions as well as other program caps and restrictions. In addition, as states cobble together available funding to continue ADAP services, other care and treatment and support programs are experiencing cost containment measures and access restrictions.

In order to meet the needs of more than 166,000 individuals living with HIV receiving ADAP services and tens of thousands more who will turn to the program throughout the next year to meet their HIV medication needs, ADAPs, state and federal governments and industry partners must all work together to solve the ADAP crisis. Many organizations and coalitions have joined together and are pursuing a coordinated strategy to help save America’s ADAPs. This strategy consists of three components:

1. Secure additional resources for ADAP from the federal government:
A large gap remains for ADAPs in FY2010 in spite of a $20 million federal appropriations increase. Many organizations are currently advocating for an emergency supplemental appropriation of $126 million to help sustain current services and eliminate waiting lists and other cost containment measures.

The total ADAP federal need number for FY2011 is an increase of $370 million for a total appropriation of $1.205 billion, including the $126 million supplemental needed in FY10.

2. Maintain, restore and increase resources for ADAPs from state governments:
ADAPs have long had a strong state-federal partnership. The federal share of the national ADAP budget has been declining from a high of 68 percent in 2000 to the current share of 49 percent. Over that same time, state revenues for ADAPs have increased to help meet program demands. However, the economic downturn is now forcing states to decrease oreliminate their state support of ADAP as well as other care and treatment programs. In FY2008, states contributed $329 million, or approximately 20 percent, of the overall ADAP budget. In FY2009, the state share fell to approximately 14 percent. Local coalitions are advocating for state legislatures to at least maintain their current level of funding in order to sustain current services.

3. Secure additional agreements between ADAPs and pharmaceutical manufacturers to augment existing agreements:
The ADAP Crisis Task Force (ACTF) negotiates with manufacturers for reduced drug prices on behalf of all ADAPs. ACTF membership is currently comprised of representatives from California, Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Texas and Utah state HIV/AIDS divisions. The ACTF has agreements with 14 manufacturers that produced an estimated savings for ADAPs of $222 million in 2008 with a cumulative savings of over $1 billion since 2003. The ACTF will be meeting with pharmaceutical companies in May 2010 in an effort to forge agreements that:

• Provide additional rebates and discounts to provide a temporary financial bridge for ADAPs until the new health reform law is fully implemented;
• Provide multiple year cost protections to ADAPs which will allow all increased revenues to go toward eliminating waiting lists, providing medications to new clients, and maintaining formularies; and
• Work toward standardization of Patient Assistance Program (PAP) application forms and procedures as well as expedite the processing of individuals on ADAP wait lists by allowing ADAP eligibility determination in each state to replace each company’s financial eligibility screening for PAPs.
  

I hope you can join us on the call to discuss this critical issue





------ End of Forwarded Message

Final Letter To Secretary Sebelius & Next Steps

Thank you for sponsoring the letter to Secretary Sebelius. In less then a week, we received 150 organizational sign-ons. This speaks on the need for funding of community based organizations, as well as state and local health departments.

For this letter to have impact, I need you to do the following:

• Call Secretary Sebelius
• Call Your Congressional Members and Ask Them To Call Secretary Sebelius

Call Secretary Sebelius
Please call or email Secretary Sebelius, Deputy Secretary for HHS - Bill Corr, or the Assistant Secretary for Health – Dr. Howard Koh. Ask them to use of the Prevention and Wellness Fund to support 100 additional directly funded community based organization in CDC program announcement (FOA) PS10-1003.

Also remember to ask for additional funding for your state or local health department. Mention the budget cut backs and it’s impact on HIV prevention services.

Due to the additional screening of all mail because of the anthrax crisis, please call or email HHS. You can reach them toll free: 1-877-696-6775 or you can email Secretary Sebelius at Kathleen.Sebelius@HHS.gov, Deputy Secretary Bill Corr at Bill.Corr@HHS.gov or Assistant Secretary For Health Dr. Howard Koh at Howard.Koh@HHS.gov

Call Your Members Of Congress
Also call your members of Congress and ask them to call Secretary Sebelius. It is amazing what a call or email from a member of Congress can do to move an issue. The message should be the same, ask them to call or email Secretary Sebelius and request that HHS use of the Prevention and Wellness Fund to support 100 additional directly funded community based organization in CDC program announcement (FOA) PS10-1003 or for additional funding for your state or local health department.

Please be sure to forward a copy of the letter. You should attach a note that gives your agency’s city and zip code so they know you are a constituent. As with HHS, due to the additional scrutiny of mail, please call, email or fax your members. To reach the House of Representatives, please go to https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml. To reach the Senate, please go to http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm.

If you missed the deadline for the letter, please feel free to add your name and forward it to your member of Congress and/or Secretary Sebelius.

To be honest, I am not sure we will be successful. Sometimes I feel like Don Quixote chasing after windmills. I would rather say “I tried” then sit on the sidelines as a victim of the system. If the history of the AIDS movement has taught me anything, it’s that we are not victims. Our voices deserve to be heard, our strength is our passion and commitment, and our courage comes from all those who went before us.

Thank you for your support. Paul


May 17, 2010

Secretary Kathleen Sebelius
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201

Dear Secretary Sebelius,

Thank you so much for your commitment to the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS). The 150 organizations who have signed this letter (see below) look forward to working with you to implement the Health and Human Services (HHS) components of this plan. We also appreciate all your work on health care reform. This letter is to begin a dialogue on the Prevention and Wellness Fund within the health care reform bill and how to distribute these important funds. As you know, HIV is a leading cause of preventable death for people of color, particularly for women, transgender women, gay men and men who have sex with men. We would like you to consider the following:

1. Increase the number of community based organizations (CBOs) that receive funding from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for program announcement (FOA) PS10-1003
2. Make-up budget shortfalls in state and local HIV/AIDS prevention programs and
3. Include HIV/AIDS Prevention in the Community Transformation Grants

As we await the final NHAS, we know that full implementation will take money. Yet these are very difficult times and the prospect of significant new resources to meet the growing demands for HIV/AIDS prevention are limited. Thank you so much for your commitment to use a portion of these funds for HIV/AIDS prevention, now we want to make sure that the money gets to the community based organizations and health departments that can make the most difference.

Directly Funded CBO Program
In the Fall of 2009, the CDC announced funds for HIV prevention projects for minority and other community based organizations serving populations at increased risk of acquiring or transmitting HIV infection. Over 500 applications were submitted. Currently a review is underway to determine which CBOs to fund. The current funding level will allow for 150 (approximately) applications to be supported. They are slated to start July 1, 2010. We are asking HHS via the Prevention and Wellness Fund to support an additional 100 applications at $30,000,000 per year for five (5) years for program announcement (FOA) PS10-1003.

We make this request because

• These projects are shovel ready and slated to start July 1, 2010
• The applications have undergone a federal review so there will be no delay is getting funds to these qualified CBOs
• The organizations funded are expected to support the goals and objectives within the NHAS.
• Without new money, it will be very challenging to implement a comprehensive NHAS.

Budget Shortfalls In State and Local HIV/AIDS Programs
According to the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD), in FY2009 more then $170 million was cut from state HIV/AIDS budgets. 25 jurisdictions (55% of the respondents) reported cuts to their HIV prevention programs. For FY2010 there are already an additional $18.5 million in cuts to the HIV and viral hepatitis budgets. When you factor out new monies for testing initiatives that only certain states were eligible to apply, federal funding for core state HIV/AIDS cooperative agreements has also decreased by $23 million.

Despite local investments, directly funded jurisdictions that shoulder over 1/3 of the US HIV epidemic have not been able to overcome the enormity of state and federal cuts. According to the Urban Coalition for HIV/AIDS Prevention Services (UCHAPS), directly funded jurisdictions have experienced an average 73% loss in state prevention resources since 2006. All directly funded local health departments are facing dire budget deficits in FY 2010, crippling efforts to combat HIV in major urban areas.

Once again, if we are to have a successful NHAS, we need money. We are asking HHS to address state and local budget cuts (55% of the $170 million that was cut in FY2009 plus the $23million in federal cuts) and continued support for urban jurisdictions experiencing the heaviest burdens of HIV.

We make this request because

• CDC has existing state and directly funded city/county cooperative agreements that can quickly funnel money to states, territories, counties or cities
• The money requested is to support state, county or city HIV/AIDS prevention budget/programs where cuts are having a devastating impact on our country’s HIV/AIDS prevention agenda.
• Without new money, it will be very challenging to implement the NHAS.

Community Transformation Grants
In the near future HHS via the CDC will award Community Transformation Grants to state and local governmental agencies and community-based organizations. These grants are for the implementation, evaluation, and dissemination of proven evidence-based community preventive health activities in order to reduce chronic disease rates, address health disparities, and develop a stronger evidence-base of effective prevention programming.

We are asking that HIV/AIDS prevention programs be eligible to apply for the Community Transformation Grants. Unfortunately HIV has a disproportionate impact on communities of color, we need stronger evidence-based prevention programs, and we would suggest that HIV disease to both an infection and a chronic disease. Community Transformation Grants should be used to address fundamental/structural issues of risk and lack of health care utilization in the most affected communities – on the topic of HIV and other health issues affecting these “high impact” communities.

HIV prevention in the US is a collaborative effort between the federal government, state AIDS offices, local health departments, and community based organizations. The rapid response challenges of implementing a National HIV/AIDS Strategy that will successfully reduce HIV incidence require increased resources and a combination approach to funding. We are recommending the first two projects because they are shovel ready and can start this fiscal year. The third recommendation depends on your timeline, we just want HIV/AIDS prevention to be included. The first two projects not only significantly increase our country's ability to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, but they will also save or add much needed jobs and economic stimulus. Without this additional funding, some community based organizations will be forced to close their doors. Not only is this bad for prevention, it is also bad for the economic burden/recovery.

Thank you so much for considering this proposal on how to distribute the HIV/AIDS money in the Prevention and Wellness Fund. We are eager to discuss this challenge or any other HIV/AIDS issue. Please contact Paul Kawata (pkawata@nmac.org) to schedule a meeting.

Sincerely,

A.A.F.I at Calvary Baptist Church
Salt Lake City. UT

The ACCESS Network, Inc.
Ridgeland, SC

Access to Racial and Cultural Health Institute, Inc.
St. Croix, VI

Action for Boston Community Development
Boston. MA

AGUILAS
San Francisco, CA

AIDS Care Service, Inc
Winston-Salem, NC

AIDS Coalition of Southern New Jersey
Bellmawr, NJ

AIDS Community Research Initiative of America
New York, NY

AIDS Foundation of Chicago
Chicago, IL

AIDS Project Hartford, Inc.
Hartford, CT

AIDS Project Worcester
Worcester, MA

AIDS/HIV Services Group
Charlottesville, VA

AIDS-Related Community Services (ARCS)
Mid Hudson Valley, NY

AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin
Wisconsin

Allen Temple Baptist Church-AIDS Ministry
Oakland, CA

The American Academy of HIV Medicine
Washington DC

Asian & Pacific Islander Coalition on HIV/AIDS
New York, NY

Aspirations Holistic Tutorial Services
San Francisco, CA

Austin Health Center of Cook County-CBC Initiative
Chicago, Illinois

A&PI Wellness Center
San Francisco, CA

BEBASHI-Transition to Hope
Philadelphia, PA

Better Existence with HIV
Chicago, IL

Black Educational AIDS Project
Baltimore, MD

Brighter Beginnings
Oakland, CA

Broadway House for Continuing Care
Newark, New Jersey

CAB Health & Recovery Services
Peabody, MA

CALOR, a Division of Anixter Center
Chicago, Illinois

Camillus Health Concern, Inc.
Miami, Florida

The CAPE Project
Mobile, AL

Care for the Homeless
New York, NY

Cascade AIDS Project
Portland, OR

CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers
Ft Lauderdale, FL

Central City AIDS Network/The Rainbow Center
Macon, GA

CHAIN (Community HIV Hepatitis Advocates of Iowa Network)
Des Moines, IA

Chattanooga CARES HIV/AIDS Resource Center
Chattanooga, TN

Chicago Recovery Alliance
Chicago, IL

Circle of Care/Ryan White Part D in
Philadelphia, PA

Citywide Project/Citywide Ministries
Atlanta, GA

CMMI Corporation of Jamaica
New York, NY

Coai, Inc.
San Juan, Puerto Rico

Cocaine and Alcohol Awareness Program, Inc
Memphis, TN

Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project (CHAMP)
New York, NY / Providence, RI

Community Information Center, Inc.
Portland OR

Community Outreach Intervention Projects
School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, IL

Community Service Network, Inc.
Dunn, NC

Comprehensive Health Education, Inc.
Milwaukee, WI

DC HIV/AIDS Examiner
Washington, DC

Desert AIDS Project
Palm Springs, CA

Reggie Dunbar II
Atlanta, GA

Family Health Project
New York City, New York

Eternal Hope Community Development Corporation, Inc.
East Orange, NJ

Family Planning Association of Puerto Rico (PROFAMILIA)
San Juan, Puerto Rico

Family Service of Greater Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, LA

Fan Free Clinic
Richmond, VA

Fayetteville Area Health Education Foundation, Inc
Fayetteville, NC

Mark Fisher
Atlanta, GA

Friends For Life
Memphis TN

Gay Men’s Health Crisis
New York, NY

Gil Gerald & Associates, Inc.
San Francisco, CA

Greater Love Tabernacle
Dorchester, MA

Hartford Gay & Lesbian Health Collective
Hartford, CT

Hawaii Island HIV/AIDS Foundation
Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Healing with CAARE
Durham, NC

Healthcare Responses, Inc.
Birmingham, AL

Healthy Eating for Healthy Living
Westchester, PA

The Henry Lee Willis Community Center
Worcester, MA

HIV ACCESS
Alameda County, CA

H.O.P.E.
Georgetown, Colorado

Dennis Huff, LCSW
Behavioral Health Director, Native Health
Phoenix, AZ

Impact Marketing + Communications
Washington, DC

In The Life
New York NY

Indigenous Peoples Task Force
Minneapolis, MN

Iris House, Inc.
New York, NY

Kentucky HIV/AIDS Advocacy Action Group (KHAAG)
Louisville, Kentucky

The LaStraw, Inc
Greensboro, NC

The Latino Commission on AIDS
New York, NY

Latino Community Services, Inc.
Hartford, CT

Patricia Lawton
Easton, Maryland

Liberty Research Group
Rochester, NY

Freddie Don Little, MPH
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Los Angeles Centers for Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Los Angeles, CA

Love Heals, the Alison Gertz Foundation for AIDS Education
New York, NY

Lower East Side Harm Reduction Center
New York, NY

Illinois Alliance for Sound Aids Policy
Belleville, IL

Karen Krigger MD, MED, FAAFP, AAHIVM(S)
University of Louisville School Of Medicine
Louisville, Kentucky

Mecklenburg Co. Health Department
Charlotte, NC

Miami Valley Positives for Positives
Dayton, OH

Mid-South Coalition on HIV/AIDS in Memphis
Memphis, TN

Minnesota AIDS Project
Minnesota, MN

Minority AIDS Council of Orangeburg, Bamberg and Calhoun Counties
Orangeburn, SC

MOCHA Center Inc.
Buffalo, NY

National African American Drug Policy Coalition, Inc
Washington, DC

National Association of People With AIDS
Washington, DC

National Black Women's HIV/AIDS Network
Baltimore, MD

National Coalition for LGBT Health
Washington, DC

National Council of Negro Women Inc.
Los Angeles View Park Section, Southern California Area
Los Angeles, CA

National Minority AIDS Council
Washington, DC

National Native American AIDS Prevention Center
Denver, CO

The Native Hawaiian Health Board
Honolulu, HI

Native Health
Phoenix, AZ

Nebraska AIDS Project
Omaha, NE

New Jersey Women and AIDS Network
New Brunswick, NJ

New Mexico AIDS Services
Albuquerque, NM

North Central Texas HIV Planning Council
Fort Worth, TX

NorthEast Two-Spirit Society
New York, NY

The Orixa Healing Dance Project
Memphis, Tennessee

David Ostrow, MD, PhD
Chair, Behavioral Working Group of the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study
Chicago, IL

Pacientes de SIDA pro Política Sana
San Juan, PR

Papa Ola Lokahi - the Native Hawaiian Health Board
Honolulu, HI

Partnership Project
Portland, OR

Phoenix Center
Springfield, IL

Planned Parenthood Greater Memphis Region
Memphis, TN

Reaching Immigrants with Care and Education (R.I.C.E.)
Minneapolis, MN

Recovery 2000, Inc.
Chicago, IL

Research and Education Foundation of the Michael Reese Medical Staff
Chicago, IL

SafeGuards LGBT Health Resource Center
Philadelphia, PA

Dr. Lexter Rosario Sanjurjo
San Juan, PR

Seattle TGA HIV/AIDS Planning Council
Seattle, Washington

Sisters Together And Reaching Inc. (STAR)
Baltimore Maryland

South Jersey AIDS Alliance
Millville, NJ

St. Luke AME Church and Treat Me Right, Inc
New York, NY

Street Works
Nashville, TN

Strongest Link AIDS Services, Inc.
Danvers, MA

Tarzana Treatment Centers
Family Medical and Specialty Clinics
Tarzana, Ca

Tennessee, Partnership to End AIDS Status
Memphis, TN

Test Positive Aware Network
Chicago, IL

Total Health Awareness Team
Rockford, IL

Treatment Access Expansion Project
Boston, MA

Tri- County Health Coalition
New Albany, Indiana

Triad Health Project
Raleigh, NC

Two Spirit Society of Denver
Edgewater, CO

UMOS, INC
Milwaukee, WI

Unity Health Care, Inc.
Washington, DC

Us Helping Us, People Into Living, Inc.
Washington, DC

U.S. Positive Women's Network (PWN)
Oakland, CA

Vermont CARES
Burlington VT

VillageCare
New York, NY

Vision Que!, LLC
Washington, DC

Volunteers of America Greater Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, LA

Wayside Youth & Family Support Network
Framingham, MA

White River Rural Health Center, Inc.
Augusta, AR

Who’s Positive
Charlottesville, VA

Brenda C. Williams
Albany, Georgia

Women Organized to Respond to Life-threatening Disease (WORLD)
Oakland, CA

The Wright House Wellness Center
Austin, TX

Modified Sebelius Letter

We’ve heard that HHS has decide that HIV/AIDS will get less then $50 million but more then $5 million from the Prevention and Wellness Fund. Even if they have decided the amount, we have not heard about how this money will be distributed. It is now more imperative that we get our recommendations to them about how we would like to use these critical prevention funds. The letter goes out Monday, May 17th.

The letter to Secretary Sebelius has been modified, we added the CDC directly funded local jurisdictions. Because the money from the Prevention and Wellness Fund needs to be encumbered by Sep 30th, we need to use existing cooperative agreements Our goal is to get money to address the HIV Prevention challenge in the US. We are open to multiple mechanisms as long as HIV/AIDS prevention gets a portion of the funds.

Please look at the diversity of organizations that have signed onto this letter so far. We have Native American agencies, church groups, LBGT organizations as well as traditional community based organizations.

For those organizations who have already signed onto the letter, unless we heard differently, we will keep your organization on the letter. For new organizations that would like to sign onto the letter, please send an email to info@nmac.org to confirm. The letter will be held until noon (eastern) on Monday, May 17th. Please share this letter with your networks and colleagues. Thank you for your support. Paul

---

Dear Secretary Sebelius

Thank you so much for your commitment to the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS). The organizations who have signed this letter (see below) look forward to working with you to implement the Health and Human Services (HHS) components of this plan. We also appreciate all your work on health care reform. This letter is to begin a dialogue on the Prevention and Wellness Fund within the health care reform bill and how to distribute these important funds. As you know, HIV is a leading cause of preventable death for people of color, particularly for women, transgender women, gay men and men who have sex with men. We would like you to consider the following:

1. Increase the number of community based organizations (CBOs) that receive funding from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for program announcement (FOA) PS10-1003
2. Make-up budget shortfalls in state and local HIV/AIDS prevention programs and
3. Include HIV/AIDS Prevention in the Community Transformation Grants
   

As we await the final NHAS, we know that full implementation will take money. Yet these are very difficult times and the prospect of significant new resources to meet the growing demands for HIV/AIDS prevention are limited. Thank you so much for your commitment to use a portion of these funds for HIV/AIDS prevention, now we want to make sure that the money gets to the community based organizations and health departments that can make the most difference.

Directly Funded CBO Program
In the Fall of 2009, the CDC announced funds for HIV prevention projects for minority and other community based organizations serving populations at increased risk of acquiring or transmitting HIV infection. Over 500 applications were submitted. Currently a review is underway to determine which CBOs to fund. The current funding level will allow for 150 (approximately) applications to be supported. They are slated to start July 1, 2010. We are asking HHS via the Prevention and Wellness Fund to support an additional 100 applications at $30,000,000 per year for five (5) years for program announcement (FOA) PS10-1003.

We make this request because

• These projects are shovel ready and slated to start July 1, 2010
• The applications have undergone a federal review so there will be no delay is getting funds to these qualified CBOs
• The organizations funded are expected to support the goals and objectives within the NHAS.
• Without new money, it will be very challenging to implement a comprehensive NHAS.
  

Budget Shortfalls In State and Local HIV/AIDS Programs
According to the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD), in FY2009 more then $170 million was cut from state HIV/AIDS budgets. 25 jurisdictions (55% of the respondents) reported cuts to their HIV prevention programs. For FY2010 there are already an additional $18.5 million in cuts to the HIV and viral hepatitis budgets. When you factor out new monies for testing initiatives that only certain states were eligible to apply, federal funding for core state HIV/AIDS cooperative agreements has also decreased by $23 million.

Despite local investments, directly funded jurisdictions that shoulder over 1/3 of the US HIV epidemic have not been able to overcome the enormity of state and federal cuts. According to the Urban Coalition for HIV/AIDS Prevention Services (UCHAPS), directly funded jurisdictions have experienced an average 73% loss in state prevention resources since 2006. All directly funded local health departments are facing dire budget deficits in FY 2010, crippling efforts to combat HIV in major urban areas.

Once again, if we are to have a successful NHAS, we need money. We are asking HHS to address state and local budget cuts (55% of the $170 million that was cut in FY2009 plus the $23million in federal cuts) and continued support for urban jurisdictions experiencing the heaviest burdens of HIV.

We make this request because

• CDC has existing state and directly funded city/county cooperative agreements that can quickly funnel money to states, territories, counties or cities
• The money requested is to support state, county or city HIV/AIDS prevention budget/programs where cuts are having a devastating impact on our country’s HIV/AIDS prevention agenda.
• Without new money, it will be very challenging to implement the NHAS.
  

Community Transformation Grants
In the near future HHS via the CDC will award Community Transformation Grants to state and local governmental agencies and community-based organizations. These grants are for the implementation, evaluation, and dissemination of proven evidence-based community preventive health activities in order to reduce chronic disease rates, address health disparities, and develop a stronger evidence-base of effective prevention programming.

We are asking that HIV/AIDS prevention programs be eligible to apply for the Community Transformation Grants. Unfortunately HIV has a disproportionate impact on communities of color, we need stronger evidence-based prevention programs, and we would suggest that HIV disease to both an infection and a chronic disease. Community Transformation Grants should be used to address fundamental/structural issues of risk and lack of health care utilization in the most affected communities – on the topic of HIV and other health issues affecting these “high impact” communities.

HIV prevention in the US is a collaborative effort between the federal government, state AIDS offices, local health departments, and community based organizations. The rapid response challenges of implementing a National HIV/AIDS Strategy that will successfully reduce HIV incidence require increased resources and a combination approach to funding. We are recommending the first two projects because they are shovel ready and can start this fiscal year. The third recommendation depends on your timeline, we just want HIV/AIDS prevention to be included. The first two projects not only significantly increase our country's ability to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, but they will also save or add much needed jobs and economic stimulus. Without this additional funding, some community based organizations will be forced to close their doors. Not only is this bad for prevention, it is also bad for the economic burden/recovery.

Thank you so much for considering this proposal to include HIV prevention in Prevention and Wellness funds. We are eager to discuss this challenge or any other HIV/AIDS issue. Please contact Paul Kawata (pkawata@nmac.org <pkawata@nmac.org> ) to schedule a meeting.

Sincerely,

A.A.F.I at Calvary Baptist Church
Salt Lake City. UT

The ACCESS Network, Inc.
Ridgeland, SC

Access to Racial and Cultural Health Institute, Inc.
St. Croix, VI

Action for Boston Community Development
Boston. MA

AIDS Coalition of Southern New Jersey
Bellmawr, NJ

AIDS Project Worcester
Worcester, MA

AIDS-Related Community Services (ARCS)
Mid Hudson Valley, NY

Allen Temple Baptist Church-AIDS Ministry
Oakland, CA

The American Academy of HIV Medicine
Washington DC

A&PI Wellness Center
San Francisco, CA

Black Educational AIDS Project
Baltimore, MD

Brighter Beginnings
Oakland, CA

Broadway House for Continuing Care
Newark, New Jersey

CAB Health & Recovery Services
Peabody, MA

Cascade AIDS Project
Portland, OR

CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers
Ft Lauderdale, FL

Central City AIDS Network/The Rainbow Center
Macon, GA

Chattanooga CARES HIV/AIDS Resource Center
Chattanooga, TN

Citywide Project/Citywide Ministries
Atlanta, GA

Coai, Inc.
San Juan, Puerto Rico

Cocaine and Alcohol Awareness Program, Inc
Memphis, TN

Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project (CHAMP)
New York, NY / Providence, RI

Community Information Center, Inc.
Portland OR

Desert AIDS Project
Palm Springs, CA

Reggie Dunbar II
Atlanta, GA

Eternal Hope Community Development Corporation, Inc.
East Orange, NJ

Fayetteville Area Health Education Foundation, Inc
Fayetteville, NC

Family Service of Greater Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, LA

Mark Fisher
Atlanta, GA

Friends For Life
Memphis TN

Gil Gerald & Associates, Inc.
San Francisco, CA

Hartford Gay & Lesbian Health Collective
Hartford, CT

Healing with CAARE
Durham, NC

Healthcare Responses, Inc.
Birmingham, AL

HIV ACCESS
Alameda County, CA

Dennis Huff, LCSW
Behavioral Health Director, Native Health
Phoenix, AZ

Impact Marketing + Communications
Washington, DC

In The Life
New York NY

Indigenous Peoples Task Force
Minneapolis, MN

Iris House, Inc.
New York, NY

Latino Community Services, Inc.
Hartford, CT

Liberty Research Group
Rochester, NY

Love Heals, the Alison Gertz Foundation for AIDS Education
New York, NY

Lower East Side Harm Reduction Center
NY, NY

Karen Krigger MD, MED, FAAFP, AAHIVM(S)
University of Louisville School Of Medicine
Louisville, Kentucky

Freddie Don Little, MPH
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Mecklenburg Co. Health Department
Charlotte, NC

Mid-South Coalition on HIV/AIDS in Memphis
Memphis, TN

Minnesota AIDS Project
Minnesota, MN

MOCHA Center Inc.
Buffalo, NY

National Coalition for LGBT Health
Washington, DC

National Association of People With AIDS
Washington, DC

National Minority AIDS Council
Washington, DC

Native Health
Phoenix, AZ

New Jersey Women and AIDS Network
New Brunswick, NJ

New Mexico AIDS Services
Albuquerque, NM

NorthEast Two-Spirit Society's
New York, NY

The Orixa Healing Dance Project
Memphis, Tennessee

Partnership Project
Portland, OR

SafeGuards LGBT Health Resource Center
Philadelphia, PA

Sisters Together And Reaching Inc. (STAR)
Baltimore Maryland

South Jersey AIDS Alliance
Millville, NJ

Street Works
Nashville, TN

Strongest Link AIDS Services, Inc.
Danvers, MA

Tennessee, Partnership to End AIDS Status
Memphis, TN

Test Positive Aware Network
Chicago, IL

Total Health Awareness Team
Rockford, IL

Treatment Access Expansion Project
Boston, MA

Tri- County Health Coalition
New Albany, Indiana

Triad Health Project
Raleigh, NC

Two Spirit Society of Denver
Edgewater, CO,

Vermont CARES
Burlington VT

Vision Que!, LLC
Washington, DC

Volunteers of America Greater Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, LA

Wayside Youth & Family Support Network
Framingham, MA

Brenda C. Williams
Albany, Georgia

Sign On Letter

Below is a sign-on letter to Secretary Sebelius about use of the Prevention & Wellness Fund that is part of the health care reform bill. If your organization would like to sign onto the letter, please send an email to info@nmac.org to confirm. The letter will be held until noon (eastern) on Monday, May 17th. Please share this letter with your networks and colleagues. Thank you for your support. Paul

Dear Secretary Sebelius

Thank you so much for your commitment to the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS). The organizations who have signed this letter (see below) look forward to working with you to implement the Health and Human Services (HHS) components of this plan. We also appreciate all your work on health care reform. This letter is to begin a dialogue on the Prevention and Wellness Fund within the health care reform bill and the need for additional support to prevent HIV/AIDS. As you know, HIV is a leading cause of preventable death for people of color, particularly for women, transgender women, gay men and men who have sex with men. We would like you to consider the following:

1. Increase the number of community based organizations (CBOs) that receive funding from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for program announcement (FOA) PS10-1003
2. Make-up budget shortfalls in state HIV/AIDS prevention programs and
3. Community Transformation Grants include HIV/AIDS prevention

As we await the final NHAS, we know that full implementation will take money. Yet these are very difficult times and the prospect of significant new resources to meet the growing demands for HIV/AIDS prevention are limited. The Prevention and Wellness Fund within the health care reform bill can make the difference between a successful NHAS versus a strategy that gets left on a bookshelf due to lack of money.

Directly Funded CBO Program

In the Fall of 2009, the CDC announced funds for HIV prevention projects for minority and other community based organizations serving populations at increased risk of acquiring or transmitting HIV infection. Over 500 applications were submitted. Currently a review is underway to determine which CBOs to fund. The current funding level will allow for 150 (approximately) applications to be supported. They are slated to start July 1, 2010. We are asking HHS via the Prevention and Wellness Fund to support an additional 100 applications at $30,000,000 per year for five (5) years for program announcement (FOA) PS10-1003.

We make this request because

• These projects are shovel ready and slated to start July 1, 2010
• The applications have undergone a federal review so there will be no delay is getting funds to these qualified CBOs
• The organizations funded are expected to support the goals and objectives within the NHAS.
• Without new money, it will be very challenging to implement a comprehensive NHAS.

Budget Shortfalls In State HIV/AIDS Programs

According to the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD), in FY2009 more then $170 million was cut from state HIV/AIDS budgets. 25 jurisdictions (55% of the respondents) reported cuts to their HIV prevention programs. For FY2010 there are already an additional $18.5 million in cuts to the HIV and viral hepatitis budgets. When you factor out new monies for testing initiatives that only certain states were eligible to apply, federal funding for core state HIV/AIDS cooperative agreements has also decreased by $23 million.

Once again, if we are to have a successful NHAS, we need money. We are asking for $116.5 million address state budget cuts (55% of the $170 million that was cut in FY2009 plus the $23million in federal cuts).

We make this request because

• CDC has existing state cooperative agreements that can quickly funnel money to states and territories.
• The money requested is to back fill state HIV/AIDS prevention budget/programs where cuts are having a devastating impact on our country’s HIV/AIDS prevention agenda and ability to reduce HIV incidence.
• Without new money, it will be very challenging to implement the NHAS.

Community Transformation Grants

In the near future HHS via the CDC will award Community Transformation Grants to state and local governmental agencies and community-based organizations. These grants are for the implementation, evaluation, and dissemination of proven evidence-based community preventive health activities in order to reduce chronic disease rates, address health disparities, and develop a stronger evidence-base of effective prevention programming.

We are asking that HIV/AIDS prevention providers be eligible to apply for the Community Transformation Grants. Unfortunately HIV has a disproportionate impact on communities of color. We need stronger evidence-based prevention programs, and we would suggest that HIV disease to both an infection and a chronic disease. Community Transformation Grants should be used to address fundamental/structural issues of risk and lack of health care utilization in the most affected communities – on the topic of HIV and other health issues affecting these “high impact” communities.

We are recommending the first two projects because they are shovel ready and can start this fiscal year. The third recommendation depends on your timeline, we just want HIV/AIDS prevention to be included. The first two projects not only significantly increase our country's ability to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, but they will also save or add much needed jobs and economic stimulus. Without this additional funding, some community based organizations will be forced to close their doors. Not only is this bad for prevention, it is also bad for the economic burden/recovery.

Thank you so much for considering this proposal. We are eager to discuss this challenge or any other HIV/AIDS issue. Please contact Paul Kawata (pkawata@nmac.org) to schedule a meeting.

Sincerely,

(List of organizations in alpha order)

NMAC’s May Stakeholder Call
Wednesday, May 12th at 1:00 PM (Eastern)/10:00 AM (Pacific)

Save the date for the National Minority AIDS Council’s (NMAC’s) May Stakeholder Call on Wednesday, May 12th at 1:00 p.m. EST/ 10:00 AM Pacific, featuring guest speaker Ron MacInnis with the International AIDS Society (http://www.iasociety.org). Ron will be discussing the International AIDS Conference in Vienna (http://www.aids2010.org) this summer and the 2012 meeting in Washington DC (July 22-27, 2012). The call in number is 1-605-475-6333; code: 481162. You may e-mail your questions to info@nmac.org or send them through Twitter: http://twitter.com/NMACCommunity

The call will be a dialogue between Ron and myself. We’ve asked Ron to update us on the meetings and let everyone know how they can get involved in the 2012 meeting in DC.

The call will be limited to the first 200 participants. I am so sorry that we ran out of space last time. The call will be recorded and podcast on NMAC’s web site at a later date.

In a November Press Release from the IAS

Removal of Entry Restrictions on People Living with HIV by the U.S. Allows for Return of Conference after 22-Year Absence

30 November 2009 (Washington, DC) — At the White House today, the International AIDS Society (IAS) announced that the XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) will be held in Washington, DC, in July 2012. The IAS Governing Council decided to hold AIDS 2012 in Washington, DC, following U.S. President Barack Obama’s October announcement that the nation would end its entry restrictions on people living with HIV effective January 4, 2010. The conference was last held in the United States in 1990 in San Francisco, California.

“The return of the conference to the United States is the result of years of dedicated advocacy to end a misguided policy based on fear, rather than science, and represents a significant victory for public health and human rights,” said IAS President-Elect Dr. Elly Katabira, Professor of Medicine at Makerere University in Uganda, who will serve as the International Chair of AIDS 2012. “AIDS 2012 will be a tremendous opportunity for researchers from around the world to share the latest scientific advances in the field, learn from one another’s expertise, and develop strategies for advancing all facets of our collective efforts to treat and prevent HIV.”

The biennial International AIDS Conference is the premier gathering for those working in the field of HIV, as well as policymakers, people living with HIV and others committed to ending the epidemic. AIDS 2012 is expected to convene more than 25,000 delegates from nearly 200 countries, including more than 2,500 journalists. The conference will be held from 22 to 27 July 2012 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

“We are extremely pleased that the United States’ new entry policy for people living with HIV reflects its key role in global efforts to combat AIDS, and we urge other nations with similar discriminatory policies still in place to follow suit,” said IAS President Dr. Julio Montaner, Director of the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS in Vancouver, Canada. “U.S. financial contributions have been crucial to our collective progress against AIDS in recent years. The Group of Eight (G8) nations made a bold commitment in 2005 to work towards universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010 and as the deadline approaches we urge all G8 members to continue to scale up their investments to match the challenges at hand, and fully fund efforts to achieve this goal.”

“We are gratified by the enthusiastic support expressed by our U.S. government and civil society partners today for holding AIDS 2012 in Washington, DC,“ said Dr. Diane Havlir, a member of the IAS Governing Council and Chief of the HIV/AIDS Division at University of California, San Francisco, who will serve as Local Co-Chair of AIDS 2012. “The world’s leading AIDS experts will gather for AIDS 2012 in a community deeply impacted by the epidemic, providing a tremendous opportunity for partnership and exchange that will further sow the seeds of solidarity among all of us dedicated to ending this scourge.”

Based in Geneva, Switzerland, the IAS is the world's leading independent association of HIV professionals, with 14,000 members in 190 countries. The IAS convenes the International AIDS Conference in partnership with a number of international bodies, including UNAIDS, the Global Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS, the International Council of AIDS Service Organizations, and the International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS, as well as local partners, which will be selected at a later date. The next conference (AIDS 2010) will be held from 18 to 23 July 2010 in Vienna, Austria (for more information, visit www.aids2010.org).

The U.S. has hosted three International AIDS Conferences. The very first International AIDS Conference was held in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1985; the third, of what was then an annual conference, was held in Washington, DC, in 1987; and the sixth in San Francisco in 1990. The 1992 conference was originally slated for Boston but was moved to Amsterdam because of concerns related to U.S. restrictions on the entry of foreigners living with HIV. The IAS Governing Council adopted a policy in 1992 prohibiting it from holding its conferences in countries that restrict short-term entry of people living with HIV and AIDS, and/or require prospective HIV-positive visitors to declare their HIV status on visa application forms or other documentation required for entry into the country.

The IAS works with international partners to track and remove discriminatory HIV entry and immigration laws and policies. These laws do not protect public health, but rather fuel stigma and sustain a culture of exclusion, rights violations and marginalization that impedes an effective response to the epidemic. The IAS maintains a detailed database on HIV-Related Travel Restrictions throughout the world (www.hivtravel.org).

“AIDS 2012 will play a key role in shaping international responses to this devastating epidemic. As with all our conferences, we will work with partners to make sure that the conference has a deep and lasting impact in our host city and country,” said Robin Gorna, IAS Executive Director. “We look forward to partnering with the residents of Washington, DC, and with other groups across the U.S. to ensure the conference further strengthens the U.S. role in global AIDS initiatives, re-energizes the response to the U.S. domestic epidemic, and focuses attention on the particularly devastating impact HIV is having in Washington, DC, and in racial and ethnic minority communities across the U.S.”

HIV and AIDS have a disproportionate impact among racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S. The estimated rate of new HIV infections among African Americans in 2006 was seven times the rate among Whites and the rate among Hispanic/Latino Americans was twice the rate among Whites. Three percent of Washington, DC, residents are known to be living with HIV and AIDS¬ – an HIV epidemic is generalized and severe when it reaches 1% in a geographic area. African Americans make up 53% of the population of Washington, DC, but account for 76% of those living with HIV and AIDS. Approximately seven percent of African American men in the city are diagnosed with HIV, and women account for nearly a third of people living with HIV.

An estimated 33.4 million people globally were living with HIV in 2008 with an estimated 2.7 million new HIV infections and 2 million AIDS-related deaths that year. At least 5 million people living with HIV in need of treatment and care do not have access to it, and prevention programmes fail to reach many in need.

The selection of Washington, DC, as the AIDS 2012 venue is also significant as it is home to key players in the global response to AIDS, including the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator (which directs PEPFAR – President’s Emergency Plan

This is Evelyn’s last week at the Miami health department. I know that so many of her colleagues and friends will miss her. Saying goodbye can be difficult, even when the person is moving on to a new opportunity. I just wanted to add my voice to the chorus of thank yous. Evelyn, your leadership and vision on behalf of the Miami Health Department, people of color, people living with HIV/AIDS and all the community based organizations will be missed.

I know your next challenge is a big one, but before you move on, I hope you will pause and remember all that you accomplished here. Sometimes we are in such a rush that we forget to take in the moment. Evelyn, before you move on, please stop and remember all the lives you touched, all the people you helped and all the good work you accomplished. You made a different in an epidemic. Not many of us can say that we made a difference, I hope you know you were one of those special people who fought an epidemic when most of the world turned their back on us. Thank you....

Looking For Consultants

NMAC is looking for consultants with expertise in working with HIV Prevention Community Planning Groups. If you or someone you know is interested in learning more please contact us at ta@nmac.org.

Potential USCA Satellite Meetings
Orlando, Florida
September 2010

The United States Conference on AIDS (USCA) is the preeminent HIV/AIDS conference bringing together over 2,500 people from the front lines of the epidemic. As our constituent travel budgets become more restricted, it’s important to find ways to address this challenge while still providing the connection that in-person meetings provide. For the first time, we are letting our friends and colleagues hold Official Satellite Meetings just prior or after the 2010 USCA.

If you are interested in holding a satellite meeting/training in conjunction with USCA, then NMAC will offer the following:

• Meeting Space as available for September 10, 11, 15 and 16
• $390 Registration rate extended to all affiliate attendees up until the start of USCA (September 11)
• Discount F&B packages with hotel if utilizing NMAC services
• Signage provided for meeting space as requested
• Specialized AV packages
• Rates for meeting space, food and beverage, and audio-visual needs are negotiable.
  

NMAC will customize a meeting package to serve your needs! If you are interested in holding a satellite meeting, please contact Terrence Calhoun (tcalhoun@nmac.org) for more information and/or to make a reservation