Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009 awaits Obama's signature

At the end of October the House and Senate passed the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009 by a unanimous vote in the Senate and a large majority in the house (408-9)! Once the President signs his name this legislation will guarantee appropriations will be designated for the program for the next four years.

Ryan White contracted HIV through blood-based products that were used to treat his hemophilia. Soon after Ryan was diagnosed with AIDS he became internationally known as he fought for his right to attend public school while he battled his illness. Unfortunately, Ryan's school and community reacted with fear and ignorance, and as a result of this the White family moved to Cicero, Indiana. It was there that Ryan and his family were welcomed with open arms and understanding. For millions of people, Ryan was the first person with AIDS that they "knew", if only from television or magazine stories, and he opened their hearts and minds to what it means to have AIDS.

The Ryan White program provides critical health care and related services to people living with HIV/AIDS that are either uninsured or underinsured. The program works with cities, states, and local community-based organizations to provide services to more than half a million people every year. The majority of the program's funds support primary medial care and essential support services. A smaller portion is used to fund technical assistance, clinical training, and research on innovative models of care. 

According to information obtained from the Center for Disease Control (2007) an estimated 1.1 million people are currently living with HIV in the United States, and approximately 53,600 new infections occur each year. With this many people in our country being diagnosed and living with HIV/AIDS it is obvious how critical the need for health care assistance is. Click here to learn more about the program.