HHS awards $2.2 billion in grants for HIV/AIDS care and medications

Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell announced today that more than $2.2 billion in Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program grants was awarded in fiscal year (FY) 2015 to cities, states and local community-based organizations. This funding supports a coordinated and comprehensive system of care to ensure that more than half a million people living with and affected by HIV in the United States continue to have access to critical HIV health care, support services, and essential medications.

“Over the last quarter century, the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program has played a critical role in the United States’ public health response to HIV,” said Secretary Burwell. “These grants will make a difference for the most vulnerable Americans who lack adequate health care coverage or financial resources to pay for treatment.”

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency within HHS, oversees the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, which provides a dynamic array of care and treatment services that facilitate and maximize positive health outcomes as part of a public health-oriented response to HIV in the United States.

“Over the last 25 years, the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program has made great strides moving clients along the HIV care continuum, an approach that helps communities plan for and provide a full range of emergency and long-term services for people living with HIV,” said HRSA Acting Administrator James Macrae. “In 2013, 81 percent of program clients were retained in care and more than 78 percent of those who were in care are virally suppressed. This improves clinical and public health outcomes by preserving health, extending life expectancy, and reducing HIV transmission.”

Under Part A of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, a total of $624.7 million was awarded to 53 metropolitan areas to provide core medical and support services for individuals living with HIV/AIDS. These grants were awarded to 24 eligible metropolitan areas and 29 transitional grant areas with the highest number of people living with HIV and AIDS or experiencing increases in HIV and AIDS cases and emerging care needs. For a list of the FY 2015 Part A awards, visit https://hab.hrsa.gov/about-ryan-white-hivaids-program/fy-2015-part-a-grant-awards.

Under Part B of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, approximately $1.3 billion was awarded to 59 states and territories. Part B includes grants that can be used for core medical 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-five states and territories were also awarded $11.2 million in Part B Minority AIDS Initiative grants. For a list of the FY 2015 Part B awards, visit https://hab.hrsa.gov/about-ryan-white-hivaids-program/fy-2015-ryan-white-hivadis-program-part-b-grant-awards.

Under Part C Early Intervention Services (EIS) of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, approximately $186.6 million was awarded across the country to 347 local community-based organizations to provide core medical and support services to people living with HIV. Part C grants are awarded directly to local organizations to provide comprehensive primary health care in outpatient settings to people living with HIV disease. Additionally, 33 organizations were awarded more than $3.1 million in Part C Capacity Development grants. For a list of the FY 2015 Part C EIS awarded grants, visit https://hab.hrsa.gov/about-ryan-white-hivaids-program/fy-2015-ryan-white-hivaids-program-part-c-eis-grant-awards. For a list of the Part C Capacity Development award recipients, visit https://hab.hrsa.gov/about-ryan-white-hivaids-program/fy-2015-ryan-white-hivaids-program-part-c-capacity-development-grant-awards.

Under Part D of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, approximately $66.8 million was awarded to 115 local community-based organizations across the country to provide family-centered comprehensive care for women, infants, children and youth. For a list of the FY 2015 Part D award recipients, visit https://hab.hrsa.gov/about-ryan-white-hivaids-program/fy-2015-ryan-white-hivaids-program-part-d-grant-awards.

Under Part F of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program $68.4 million was awarded to support technical assistance, clinical training, oral health services and the development of innovative models of care through several different programs. While Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Parts A through D may utilize funds to provide oral health services, two Part F programs focus exclusively on funding oral health care for people living with HIV; HIV/AIDS Dental Reimbursement and Community-Based Dental Partnership. Approximately $8.8 million was awarded to 57 programs through the HIV/AIDS Dental Reimbursement Program and $3.5 million in grants was awarded to 12 programs through the Community-Based Dental Partnership Program under Part F of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program. For a list of the Part F HIV/AIDS Dental Reimbursement Program award recipients and Community-Based Dental Partnership Program award recipients, visit https://hab.hrsa.gov/about-ryan-white-hivaids-program/fy-2015-ryan-white-part-f-grant-awards.

Also under Part F, the AIDS Education and Training Centers Program (AETC) awarded approximately $31.1 million through 26 grants to support education and training of health care professionals through a network of 8 regional and three national centers. For a list of the AETC award recipients, visit https://hab.hrsa.gov/about-ryan-white-hivaids-program/fy-2015-aids-education-and-training-centers-grant-awards . In addition, $25 million dollars was awarded through the Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS) Program under Part F of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, which supports the demonstration and evaluation of innovative models of care delivery for hard-to-reach populations. For a list of current SPNS initiatives, including the newest initiatives, Dissemination of Evidence-Informed Interventions to Improve Health Outcomes along the HIV Care Continuum and Use of Social Media to Improve Engagement, Retention, and Health Outcomes along the HIV Care Continuum, visit here.

Grant awards in FY 2015 also support cities, states, and communities to achieve the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy: Updated to 2020, which was released in summer 2015. 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. In addition, the updated Strategy cites the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program as a critical source of lifesaving care and treatment for those living with HIV.

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