D.C., Md. Face Cut In AIDS Funding

[kweerwolf]

The District of Columbia and Maryland may lose millions of dollars in federal AIDS grants if they do not agree to have local health departments collect and record the names of people with newly diagnosed HIV infection.

The two jurisdictions are among about a dozen in the country that collect data about new HIV cases using coded identities, not names -- a strategy adopted two decades ago when HIV infection was untreatable and highly stigmatizing.

Many jurisdictions have since switched from "code-based" to "name-based" reporting of new cases. A name-based system is already used everywhere for AIDS, the advanced stage of HIV infection.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says universal name-based reporting for all HIV cases -- not just AIDS -- is essential for tracking the epidemic in the United States. Having such a system is likely to become the key determinant of how $2.2 billion a year in federal AIDS grants is distributed to cities and states under the Ryan White CARE Act.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/12/AR2006031201052.html?nav=rss_email/components

[sui generis]

1. there isn't a reason in the world they need name based reporting

it boggles the mind that anyone could even buy into that, much less propose it.

[NMMNG]

2. Let's just make it more likely that people will avoid getting tested

And therefore remain untreated as well as at risk for infecting others. :eyes:

[JackBeck]

3. In New York City, my agency got cut out of Ryan White as well.

But for different reasons.

I do treatment education. Worlds away from prevention, since we come from a harm reduction model. When we went to re-apply for funding at the end of the contract, treatment education had been completely sliced from the contract all together. They're now focusing more on adherence in a medical setting. It's all about being diagnosed and going on meds. Pretty sad if you ask me. So we're now called HIV Health Educators and are searching everywhere for money. Our agency is really unique and is needed since we serve communities of color and persons who need health education so they can ask their doctors questions, instead of being treated as cattle on a conveyor belt.