In response to the growing number of HIV/AIDS patients on AIDS Drug
Assistance Program (ADAP) waiting lists, the National Minority AIDS
Council and the Flowers Heritage Foundation have joined forces to
increase awareness of Bridge the Gap, a unique program that provides
medication for people currently waiting for ADAP enrollment. The
economic downturn combined with increased testing efforts and budget
cuts has resulted in the largest waiting list in the program’s history
with 418 people currently without access to care. These patients can
often wait months, even years before they are enrolled in the program
and many experience disease progression or even death.
“Bridge the Gap is more important than ever as nine states currently
have ADAP waiting lists, with Tennessee being the most recent state to
establish one. Even more alarming is the fact that in the last three
months alone, the number of individuals waiting for treatment has jumped
167 percent,” said Gregory Edwards, Ed.D., executive director of the
Flowers Heritage Foundation. “By partnering with the National Minority
AIDS Council we are sending an urgent call-to-action to the public to
donate funds to help these individuals get life-saving medication.”
Bridge the Gap is the only program of its kind that partners with
individual states and raises funds for patients on waiting lists to pay
for a one-year supply of medication. FHF and NMAC have recently created
an online tool to allow individuals to easily and securely make
donations to the program.
“We are honored to be working with the Flowers Heritage Foundation on
the Bridge the Gap program. Together, we hope to raise awareness about
this growing public health issue and hopefully make ADAP waiting lists a
thing of the past,” said Paul A. Kawata, Executive Director of the
National Minority AIDS Council. “We also are asking everyone to consider
making a donation to the program this holiday season. Even the smallest
of gifts will help ensure that families do not lose loved ones simply
because they cannot afford treatment.”