Blue Room Press Conference: Ford, Advocates to Discuss Need to Better Invest in Black HIV/AIDS Health Providers

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – As Feb. 7 marks National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, state Rep. La Shawn K. Ford, D-Chicago, is joining the Black Leadership Advocacy Coalition for Healthcare Equity (BLACHE) to encourage greater state investment in programs targeted toward Black-led community-based HIV/AIDS service providers.

Ford will lead a press conference on the topic Tuesday, Feb. 7 at 10:30 a.m. in the Capitol’s Blue Room. Other lawmakers expected to join include state Sen. Mike Simmons, D-Chicago, state Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana, state Rep. Lakesia Collins, D-Chicago, and state Rep. Justin Slaughter, D-Chicago.

“We’re coming together on this day to highlight the inequity in health funding for Black-led HIV/AIDS efforts,” Ford said. “While there has been previous General Assembly action to create grants on the topic, we need to make sure this funding is reaching the communities that need help the most. This is critically-needed support that can have a significant impact on the health outcomes of residents, and we can’t let it fall by the wayside due to bureaucracy.”

According to BLACHE, despite only comprising of 14% of Illinois’ population, Black residents are affected by 52.1% of new HIV diagnoses and 44.8% of existing diagnoses of AIDS. Currently, no money in the Illinois General Fund is allocated toward funding African-American-led HIV/AIDS community service providers. Additionally, BLACHE notes that less than $1 million of the Illinois Department of Public Health’s (IDPH) $103 million HIV/AIDS budget is being directed to Black-led community-based HIV/AIDS service providers.

BLACHE and Ford are encouraging IDPH to better focus resources to the communities that need help the most and to take steps to remove bureaucratic bottlenecks that are preventing aid from reaching providers sooner.

For more information, please contact RepFord@LaShawnFord.com.