WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (FL-26) applauded significant bipartisan House passage of her amendment to an appropriations package to increase the allocation of funding for the Minority AIDS Initiative Fund by $5 million. A video of Mucarsel-Powell’s speech can be found here.
“Despite progress combating the HIV/AIDS issue nationwide, in Miami the trend is going in the wrong direction,” said Mucarsel-Powell. “The rate of new diagnoses in the Miami area is three times the national average, the highest rate of anywhere in the country, with racial and ethnic minorities making up three of four new cases. While we continue fighting this preventable disease, we must keep fighting the stigma associated with the disease, too. Undetectable = Untransmittable. It is critical that we continue to provide support for innovative initiatives – like Prevention 305 in Miami – that help prevent the spread of HIV and provide quality care for those living with HIV/AIDS through the Minority HIV/AIDS Fund.”
"The AIDS Institute thanks Rep. Mucarsel-Powell for increasing funding for the Minority HIV/AIDS Fund. In order to end the HIV epidemic, we must address the disproportionate impact that HIV has on minority communities, including African-Americans and Latinos,” said Carl Schmid, Deputy Executive Director of the AIDS Institute. “The Minority HIV/AIDS Fund has long been a tool to expand innovative HIV treatment and prevention techniques in minority populations, and by increasing funding for the program, we can have a greater impact on our Nation's fight against HIV. We especially thank Rep. Mucarsel-Powell for her work to address HIV in the communities that The AIDS Institute serves in Florida."
The Minority HIV/AIDS Fund is transforming HIV prevention, care, and treatment for communities of color by bringing together federal, state, and community organizations to design and test innovative solutions that address critical emerging needs, and by working to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and impact of federal investments in HIV programs and services for racial and ethnic minorities.
