Washington, DC – Five of the nation’s leading organizations focused on ending the HIV, STD, and hepatitis epidemics in the United States — AIDS United, NASTAD, the National Coalition of STD Directors, NMAC, and The AIDS Institute — today issued the following statement on the passage of the Fiscal Year 2022 omnibus appropriations package.
“We are relieved that Congress has finally been able to pass a full-year appropriations package for fiscal year 2022. After a nearly six month delay, funding for HIV, STD, and hepatitis programs will finally be able to be put to work. However, we are concerned that political disagreement prevented good policy from being enacted.”
“Since last spring, President Biden and House and Senate appropriators have proposed to increase HIV, STD, and hepatitis programs in their respective bills. We were very hopeful that these needed increases would become law. However, the final omnibus only included modest increases for some programs like the Ending the HIV Epidemic Initiative and the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS Programs, while programs like CDC’s STD and hepatitis prevention and the Minority HIV/AIDS Fund programs remained effectively stagnant.”
“Unfortunately, the political realities in Congress forced negotiators to reduce the planned increases for HIV, STD, and hepatitis programs. Much more funding is needed to expand the tools that we believe will help end the epidemics.”
“Now that we are past FY 2022, the Partnership is quickly working with our champions on the Hill and within the administration to ensure that there are significant increases for public health programs in FY 2023. We hope that President Biden’s FY 2023 budget will request the amounts truly needed to achieve our nation’s HIV, STD, and hepatitis goals.”
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About The Partnership the End HIV, STDs, and Hepatitis
We are five of the nation’s leading organizations focused on ending the HIV, STD, and hepatitis epidemics in the United States – AIDS United, NASTAD, the National Coalition of STD Directors, NMAC, and The AIDS Institute.