1. United States
2. Mo.
3. Letter

Contact the Senate Appropriations Committee to advocate for robust funding for HIV programs in the FY26 LHHS appropriations bill scheduled for consideration in committee this week. - Cuts to federal HIV prevention, treatment, care, and research funding would: - Hurt people living with or vulnerable to HIV by reducing access to critical, life-saving services, and - Cut jobs in HIV programs throughout our state. - HIV programs have a more than 35-year history of bipartisan support. - Federal HIV programs are effective and save money. -  HIV prevention is cost-effective - Each year, there are approximately 32,000 new cases of HIV, and each new case has expected lifetime medical costs of more than $500,000. This equals $16 billion in new lifetime medical costs each year. - The Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative has reduced HIV incidence by 21% in EHE jurisdictions - 3.5 times better than non-EHE jurisdictions - because EHE jurisdictions have additional resources to expand access to HIV testing, treatment, and prevention services, including PrEP (HIV prevention medication). - The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program is an effective federal program that provides HIV care, treatment, and support to more than 550,000 people nationwide.   - The program has helped more than 90% of its clients achieve viral suppression, which indicates HIV treatment success and prevention of HIV transmission.  - Maintaining funding for all parts of the Ryan White Program is critical, including Part F, which supports access to dental programs; training and education that helps primary care physicians and other non-HIV specialists treat people living with HIV; and implementation of evidence-based programs that improve HIV treatment and prevention outcomes. - HIV research has led not only to effective HIV treatment and prevention, including PrEP - a medication that is 99% effective at preventing HIV - but also to treatment discoveries for other diseases, such as cancer.