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New York State commits $200M towards HIV/AIDS prevention – Metro US

New York State commits $200M towards HIV/AIDS prevention

New York State commits $200M towards HIV/AIDS prevention
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New York State will commit a new $200 million towards HIV/AIDS reduction efforts as part of its plan to eradicate the disease.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on the eve of World AIDS Day that the state would add the amount to its standing $2.5 billion investment in program to “end AIDS by 2020.”

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That program includes work to expand availability of affordable housing options and services for New Yorkers living with HIV, make life insurance available for those battling the disease aged between 30 and 60 years and increase funding for STD clinics in New York City.

Activists accused the city Health department earlier this year of cutting funding for STD clinics.

A Health Department spokesman said Tuesday that the city increased of services for STD treatment by $1.3 million and that a popular Chelsea clinic was closed for renovation.

Cuomo’s plan to end AIDS by 2020, however, require City Hall to throw in $10 million, but DNAinfo reported in June that Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office had not yet seen details of the governor’s proposal.

Both the city and the state have invested heavily in work surrounding pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, medication designed to reduce the infection risk of HIV-negative New Yorkers.

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More than 202,000 New Yorkers have been diagnosed with AIDS, according to the state Health Department, and more than 112,000 individuals are currently living with an HIV/AIDS diagnosis.

The state Health Department noted there have been zero reports of HIV/AIDS infections passed from mother to child in the last 12 months, and that estimates of New Yorkers living with HIV dropped by 20,000 with new tracking methods.

“New York was once the epicenter of the AIDS crisis – but now we are showing the nation how to fight back and make this epidemic a thing of the past,” Cuomo said in a statement.

Advocates came out in support of the governor’s latest investment, including the AIDS Service Center NYC.

As ASCNYC and millions of New Yorkers observe another World AIDS Day, this tremendous show of support by Gov. Cuomo gives us hope for an end to new cases of HIV infection and better treatment and care for those who are living with HIV,” said Sharen Duke, ASCNYC’s executive director.

Cuomo is expected to join a large coalition of advocates and activists gather to recognize World AIDS Day on Tuesday morning at Harlem’s Apollo Theater, where he originally announced his plan last year.

Local organizations also plan to gather for a candlelight vigil at Trinity Lutheran Church of Manhattan on West 100th Street and Amsterdam at a 6 p.m., followed by a reading of names of this lost to AIDS at the Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew on 86th Street at 6:30 p.m.

Correction: This story has been updated on Dec. 1, 10:30 a.m. to reflect a statement by the city Health Department that the city has invested more money into STD treament and that the Chelsea health clinic was closed for renovations.