For Immediate Release
Media Contact:
Justin Burke - 213.201.1525
EMAIL:jburke@apla.org
AIDS PROJECT LOS ANGELES ISSUES REPORT ON THE STATE OF THE AIDS EPIDEMIC – “BEYOND COMPLACENCY” CITES POTENTIAL THREATS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST AIDS
RELEASE COINCIDES WITH GOVERNOR DAVIS’ MAY BUDGET REVISE
Los Angeles, May 14, 2002-- With more people than ever living with AIDS, looming budget deficits in Washington and Sacramento now threaten to derail progress in the fight against the epidemic, according to “Beyond Complacency: A Call for Renewed Leadership in the Third Decade of AIDS,” a report released by AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA). The report coincides with Governor Gray Davis’ May budget revision.
“Between the recession, the war on terrorism and burgeoning budget deficits in Sacramento and Washington, politicians will be tempted to cutback on AIDS funding,” said Daniel C. Montoya, Director, APLA’s Government Affairs Division. “But if we fail to fully fund AIDS now, we will only pay more later, in both dollars and human suffering.”
“Gov. Davis’ May budget revision shows that he gets the message,” Montoya added, praising the Governor for his leadership in maintaining his personal commitment to HIV/AIDS funding even as the state faces the largest budget shortfall ever.
The Governor’s budget revision, issued Wednesday, May 14, maintains HIV/AIDS funding at current levels, and increases state funding for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program by $22.5 million, filling a gap left by inadequate federal funding. However, Davis announced major cuts in other healthcare programs, including over $750 million in cuts in Medi-Cal benefits.
The APLA report notes that nearly one million Americans are now living with HIV/AIDS. In Los Angeles County, there are more than 16,000 people living with AIDS and over 40,000 are estimated to be infected with HIV.
The report also warns Californians that we can no longer rely on the Administration in Washington to “fund critical HIV services - in particular prevention programs - that will enable the state to stay ahead of the curve.”
The APLA report was mailed to elected officials and policy makers throughout the state. It is available by calling APLA’s Government Affairs Division at (213) 201-1623 or on-line at www.apla.org.
AIDS Project Los Angeles, one of the nation’s largest AIDS service organizations, provides direct services to more than 10,000 men, women and children living with HIV and AIDS in Los Angeles County. Services include prevention education, food banks, professional dental care, housing assistance, mental health counseling, women’s services and case management. APLA is a leader in the provision of bilingual HIV treatment information, in print and on the Internet, and advocates for effective AIDS-related policies and legislation on the local, state and federal level. For more information, please visit www.apla.org
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