$1.1 billion funding to low-income individuals living with HIV/AIDS in U.S.

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt has announced more than $1.1 billion in funding to help states and territories provide care, medications and services for low-income individuals living with HIV/AIDS.

The grants are awarded under Part B of Title XXVI of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, as amended by the newly enacted Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act of 2006. Part B of Title XXVI of the PHS Act was previously referred to as Title II of the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act, the predecessor statute.

"For more than 15 years, Ryan White programs have been the lifeline for thousands of individuals living with HIV/AIDS," Secretary Leavitt said. "The new legislation will greatly expand our ability to serve them with more effective care and services."

The award includes Part B base grants, AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) grants, and Emerging Community (EC) grants. Most of the funds, $775 million, will support state ADAP programs, which provide life-saving medications to HIV/AIDS patients.

The reauthorized Ryan White law requires that Part B grantees spend 75 percent of their grant award on core medical services and that ADAPs maintain a core list of antiretroviral drugs in their formularies. For more information on the new legislation, visit http://hab.hrsa.gov/treatmentmodernization/default.htm .

HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration administers the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program. More than 530,000 people receive help from Ryan White programs ( http://hab.hrsa.gov/ ) every year. For information on all Federal HIV/AIDS programs, visit http://www.aids.gov/ .