Treatment Action Group Calls on NY City Council to Override and Mayor Adams to Reverse Egregious Cuts to New York City HIV Funding

Contact: Natalie Shure, natalie.shure@treatmentactiongroup.org

New York City, May 22, 2024 – In response to disheartening news of the proposed $5.3 million cut in HIV/AIDS funding by the Adams administration [1], we at Treatment Action Group (TAG) express our resolute opposition, in solidarity with our partner organizations that would be harmed by the egregious, unconscionable cuts to HIV services and programs in New York City. These proposed cuts reflect a disregard for the lives and well-being of all New Yorkers, particularly those living with HIV and communities at disproportionate risk of acquiring HIV.

The proposed budget cuts jeopardize critical services aimed toward helping people living with HIV to maintain optimal health and achieve viral suppression, as well as other crucial HIV prevention services. These programs are provided by frontline organizations with longstanding institutional knowledge, experience, and ties within HIV-affected communities, such as GMHC, Housing Works, Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, and Planned Parenthood. At a time when New York City has already missed its targets for reducing HIV incidence as outlined in the NYS/NYC Ending the Epidemic Plan, slashing funding to these vital programs is counterproductive and will only worsen our current shortcomings.

“The decision to cut funding in such a critical area of public health, particularly when recent financial forecasts show clearly that the city’s economic conditions have improved, is not just disappointing — it is dangerous,” said TAG’s executive director, Mark Harrington. It threatens to undo progress in controlling and eventually eliminating HIV as a public health threat in our city. The impact of these cuts will be felt most acutely by our community’s most vulnerable, risking setbacks in HIV treatment adherence and potential increases in transmission.

TAG’s HIV project director, Riko Boone, said, “We urgently call on the Mayor Adams administration, the New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), and New York City Council to reverse these ill-advised cuts. The health and well-being of all New Yorkers, especially those living with or at risk for HIV, must be a top priority in their governance and budgetary decisions.”

We appeal to all stakeholders — city leaders, healthcare providers, activists, and concerned citizens — to join us in this crucial advocacy. Together, we must remind the city administration of its duty to protect and promote the health of all New Yorkers.

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[1] Tracy M. Council, nonprofits sound alarm as city proposes $5 million cut to HIV/AIDS services. Gay City News. 2024 May 21.

About TAG: Treatment Action Group (TAG) is an independent, activist and community-based research and policy think tank fighting for better treatment, prevention, a vaccine, and a cure for HIV, tuberculosis, and hepatitis C virus. TAG works to ensure that all people with HIV, TB, and HCV receive life-saving treatment, care, and information. We are science-based treatment activists working to expand and accelerate vital research and effective community engagement with research and policy institutions.