For Immediate Release

Media Contact:
Justin Burke - 213.201.1525
EMAIL:jburke@apla.org

May 13, 2004, Los Angeles, CA – AIDS Project Los Angeles today praised Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for fully funding the state’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) in his revised 2004-05 budget, released today.

“Funding ADAP at $234 million – a 13 percent increase – is a bold and compassionate move, especially in a time of fiscal crisis,” said APLA Executive Director Craig E. Thompson. “The governor clearly understands the AIDS epidemic in California and the importance of ADAP for people living with HIV or AIDS,” Thompson said

“The funding level recommended by the governor will allow ADAP to meet expected caseload growth without restrictions on access to the program,” Thompson said.

ADAP provides HIV/AIDS drug therapies to almost 26,000 low-income uninsured or underinsured Californians each year.

“The state Legislature also recognizes the importance of ADAP,” Thompson said, noting that both the Assembly and Senate provided increases to ADAP earlier this year. “We look forward to working with both the administration and the Legislature to make sure that no Californian living with HIV/AIDS goes without these life-saving treatments.”

Thompson said the Legislature now has an opportunity to restore some $6 million to the HIV/AIDS Diagnostic Assay program, which pays for viral load and resistance testing for people on HIV/AIDS drug therapies. The program was cut last year to augment ADAP funding.

“It is clear that both the administration and the Legislature understand that this is no time to scale back the state’s efforts to fight AIDS, and that ADAP saves the state money in the long run,” Thompson said. “There are more people than ever living with HIV/AIDS – over 125,000 statewide, and some 54,000 in Los Angeles County alone – who need support services, care and treatment.”

AIDS Project Los Angeles, one of the nation’s largest AIDS service organizations, provides direct, bilingual services to more than 7,500 men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS in Los Angeles County each year. Services include prevention education, food banks and nutrition education, professional dental care, mental health counseling, housing and transportation assistance, information and referral services, case management and home health care. APLA is a leader in the development of HIV prevention programs, and helps shape fair and effective HIV/AIDS-related policy and legislation in response to the local, national and international epidemics. For more information, please visit www.apla.org.

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