Local organizations concerned about the HIV epidemic if cuts to the CDC begin
“There is a lot of need, particularly in disadvantaged and under-served populations of individuals and citizens in St. Louis”
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - More money cuts from the Trump istration could soon hit St. Louis. One agency targeted is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, specifically its HIV prevention division.
“It would take about $2 million from our budget, our current operating budget,” said Dana Williams, the Executive Director of the Community Wellness Project.
Losing $2 million of a $3 million budget concerns Dana Williams. She said the looming cuts to the CDC targeting the HIV Prevention division reverses all of the steps forward to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
“There is a lot of need, particularly in disadvantaged and under-served populations of individuals and citizens in St. Louis; the thought that $700 million would be cut from the prevention budget would be devastating,” said Williams.
The non-profit serves about 5,000 people in the region a year.
The Trump istration is weighing cutting the CDC’s division focused on HIV prevention completely and moving its responsibilities to another department or cutting its budget by $700 million.
“Not only for my organization... Organizations like Williams and Associates, Vivent, and Washington University and St. Louis University and Writers, Trainers, and Planners on the Eastside so these dollars taken away would be devastating to all of us,” said Williams.
Vivent Health is another local organization working to prevent HIV across the region. Jordan Braxton, the Prevention Supervisor, shares where her HIV prevention work began in 1985.
“We had people dying left and right. You could be dancing with someone on Monday and carrying them to their grave by that Friday, and the government wasn’t doing anything about it,” said Braxton.
Cases have declined by 12% in recent years, Braxton believes that’s because of the work of clinics like Vivent, which provide care beyond prevention.
“I feel like it’s very targeted because we all know HIV disproportionately affects black and brown and LGBTQIA people,” said Braxton.
“It’s easy to cut something you don’t understand. I would ask that they spend more time understanding what we do versus just going in with a sledgehammer and cutting things out,” said Williams.
The cuts are still up in the air at this time.
In January, HIV-related content was removed from the CDC’s website.
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