Dear Community Partner:
As we celebrate World AIDS Day on December 1, 2009, it is important that we do not forget about HIV/AIDS awareness in our community. The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) has made funding recommendations to cut HIV Counseling & Testing prevention programs and activities in St. Joseph County for 2010. St. Joseph County (Region 2) presently ranks 4th in the state for HIV/AIDS rates, but ranks 7th in the level of funding recommendations and have been denied funding to provide HIV Counseling & Testing.
The guidelines for allocating HIV Prevention dollars mandate that the resources must follow the disease burden in the state.
St. Joseph deserves to be funded at a rate comparable to those who share the same disease burden. HIV Prevention funding must be increased to provide comprehensive prevention services in St. Joseph County!
The largest HIV/AIDS service community based organization in St. Joseph County and the St. Joseph County Health Department has provided HIV Counseling & Testing services since 1993. AIDS Ministries/AIDS Assist alone has identified 15 new HIV positive individuals between January and October 2009. St. Joseph County is an ideal model of community collaborations. HIV/AIDS service organizations in St. Joseph county work in partnership with local health centers, drug treatment centers, universities, homeless centers, and the county jail to provide HIV Counseling & Testing. Without these vital prevention services the community of St. Joseph will no longer be able to offer early detection and we will return to the days of hospital emergency rooms identifying new HIV infections. As individuals go undiagnosed and untreated for HIV the result will be an unfair burden on already limited local resources.
The Indiana HIV Community Planning Group (CPG) will meet on Monday, December 14, 2009 to review and approve the 2010 HIV Prevention Plan which includes funding recommendations from the Indiana State Department of Health. Upon approval the plan will be submitted to the Centers for Disease Control. We must contact the Indiana State Department of Health prior to this meeting!
WE NEED YOUR HELP! PLEASE DO NOT ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN. We must have HIV Counseling & Testing and Outreach funding restored to St. Joseph County! Please contact:
Judith A. Monroe, Indiana State Health Commissioner
1-317-233-1325 (ISDH switchboard)
Larry Harris, ISDH Interim Division Director Division of HIV
1-317-233-7464
Veronica McCants, CDC HIV Prevention Project Officer
1-404-639-5194
Indiana State Representative Ryan Dvorak
Indiana House Speaker B. Pat Bauer
1-317-232-9600 or 1-800-382-9842 toll-free
Congressman Joe Donnelly
574-288-2825 or 1-202-225-3915
Please demand that HIV Counseling & Testing and Outreach funding be restored to St. Joseph County!
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Latorya Greene at 574-234-2870 or Lragnew@yahoo.com.
Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to support the community of St. Joseph County!
Sincerely,
Latorya R. Greene
Director of Prevention
AIDS Ministries/AIDS Assist
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