Cohen Announces Over $3.5 Million For HIV And AIDS Treatment In Shelby County

[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced that Shelby County has been awarded $3,557,886 in federal funding to help address HIV/AIDS and to provide care for those living with HIV in Shelby County. This funding comes through the United States Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, which helps local governments provide HIV-related services to more than half a million people each year who do not have sufficient health care coverage or financial resources for coping with the disease.

"Although we have made considerable progress in the past few years, HIV remains a serious problem in the Ninth District," said Congressman Cohen. "The federal funding from HHS's Ryan White program will assist thousands of Memphians suffering from AIDS and HIV to gain access to the high-quality, comprehensive care they need and deserve."

The Ninth District has received over $20 million dollars in Ryan White Program funding while Congressman Cohen has been in the United States House of Representatives. The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program is the largest federal program designed specifically to help people with HIV/AIDS. Since its inception in 1990, it has provided care and support to Americans across the country afflicted with HIV/AIDS. It functions as the "payer of last resort" – that is, it pays for the gaps in care for people who have no other source of coverage or face coverage limits. This funding has come through Part A of the program, which helps locales most severely affected by HIV/AIDS.