Atlanta agencies beneficiaries of $2.65 million HIV investment
This article was originally published in the Atlanta Journal Constitution on December 2nd, 2017.
Nine states, including Georgia, have been awarded $2.65 million to help stop the worsening impact of the HIV epidemic in Southern states.
Funders Concerned About AIDS, a collaborative that includes Gilead Sciences, the Ford Foundation, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, ViiV Healthcare, and Johnson & Johnson, awarded initial funding to the 38 organizations, including five in metro Atlanta.
“America’s South is the epicenter of the disease,” said John Barnes, FCAA’s executive director. “While 40 percent of all people living with HIV in the U.S. live in the South, the region received only about 19 percent of the resources.”
Among the nine targeted states, Barnes said the level of HIV-related philanthropy translates to $35 per person living with HIV compared to $116 per person allocated nationally.
“Without the necessary resources, we will not be able to control this epidemic,” he said.