Collaborative partnership grants $625,000 to fight AIDS in the southern US

The Elton John AIDS Foundation announced an expanded series of annual grants, jointly awarded with The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, to increase focus on ending the AIDS epidemic in the Southern United States.

According to a press release, The Aileen Getty Foundation will also partner with these organizations to award $625,000 in resources to 12 organizations. The Aileen Getty Foundation, founded by long-term HIV survivor Aileen Getty, promotes comprehensive and empathetic advocacy to address HIV/AIDS.

“Poverty, inadequate education, stigma, racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia are all barriers that make it challenging for people in the South to access treatment, health care and other support services around the disease,” David Furnish, chairman of The Elton John AIDS Foundation, told Infectious Disease News. “Meanwhile, the region receives less than a quarter of total HIV-related philanthropy for the U.S. each year. That’s why this partnership is such a critical step toward ending the epidemic there — it’s about bringing resources to where they’re needed most.”

As of 2016, the CDC reported that 53% new AIDS diagnoses in the U.S. were concentrated in the South. According to the 2016 HIV Surveillance Report, blacks make up 54% of new diagnoses in the region.

The grant series will support programs in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. The projects include:

LGBTQ youth centers and wellness services;
specific advocacy programs for LGBTQ youth of color;
the expansion of Georgia HIV Advocacy Network and Youth HIV Advisors Program;
educational opportunities and employment services for at-risk individuals in the criminal justice system;
mentoring programs for sexual and gender minority individuals in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems;
promotion of free HIV testing services and treatment, training and support for the public;
support for full-time staff working with HIV-infected individuals and people who are at a higher risk of infection; and
a symposium aimed at communities of color regarding lowering barriers to care and reducing HIV transmission.

“Our grantees work to advocate for policies that benefit those affected by HIV, provide treatment and testing services, and help foster new leadership within the populations they serve like Black communities, youth, and LGBT people. These are all critical facets to creating positive and sustainable change to the state of HIV/AIDS in the South,” Furnish told Infectious Disease News. “With the Aileen Getty Foundation coming on board to join our existing partners at The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, we’re able to make this one of the largest philanthropic partnerships addressing AIDS in the region.” – by Marley Ghizzone

Reference:

CDC. HIV Surveillance Report. https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pdf/library/reports/surveillance/cdc-hiv-surveillance-report-2016-vol-28.pdf. Accessed April 10, 2018.