Thirty years ago the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act, or CARE Act, was passed. Named for an Indiana teenager who contracted AIDS via a blood transfusion and was subsequently expelled from school because of his status, this was the largest federally funded program for the people in the U.S. living with HIV/AIDS. Its intent was to improve HIV/AIDS care, its availability and access for low-income people affected by the disease. And for the LGBTQ community, which to this day is disproportionately impacted by the disease, this act has been instrumental in creating care opportunities.
In Detroit, Health Emergency Lifeline Programs, or HELP, benefits from Ryan White CARE Act funding. It is an organization that works to aid thousands of people affected by HIV/AIDS along with the Corktown Health Center, which focuses on LGBTQ health care. This is especially important because as of 2018, the city's HIV/AIDS average was more than four times the state average. This month, the organizations are taking time to acknowledge Ryan White and the act itself, and HELP/Corktown Health Center Chief Operating Officer Teresa Roscoe said that there are many reasons to celebrate it 30 years later.
"The Ryan White CARE Act is the single largest source of federal funding for HIV medical care and support services. The lives of people living with HIV have been made profoundly better by these resources, and we have seen the effectiveness of reducing HIV transmission by helping individuals achieve viral suppression," Roscoe said. "At HELP and Corktown Health Center, we are proud to support our community and address social determinants of health through the Ryan White CARE Act and other funds. We will continue to work with policymakers to express the importance of continued funding for Michigan."
However, as valuable as the Act has been to HIV/AIDS services both locally and nationally, Roscoe made sure to express how other systemic flaws impacting vulnerable communities are emphasized because to its necessity.
"As we celebrate 30 years of Ryan White's courage and legacy, we continue to witness how health disparities, food insecurity, housing insecurity, lack of behavioral health services and discrimination affect vulnerable communities," she said. "Today, the COVID-19 pandemic further highlights the impact of these health disparities here in Michigan and across the nation."
To learn more about the act visit the Health Resources & Services Administration website.
