SAVE HIV FUNDING CAMPAIGN MARKS NATIONAL LATINE AIDS AWARENESS DAY WITH URGENT CALL TO PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAMS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON, D.C – Wednesday, October 15, 2025 — To mark the National Latine AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD), the #SaveHIVFunding Campaign and partner organizations honor the strength, resilience, and leadership of Latine communities across the U.S., while continuing to urge Congress to protect federal HIV and public health funding that millions rely on for care.
Latine people account for nearly one in three new HIV diagnoses in the U.S., according to data from the CDC. Despite decades of progress, the Latine community continues to face systemic barriers to care, including inequitable access to testing, treatment, and preventive medication like PrEP. Many of the programs that serve these communities are sustained by federal HIV funding, which remains at risk amid ongoing budget negotiations in Washington.
For community-based clinics and health centers that provide culturally competent care, proposed cuts to HIV funding would have devastating consequences. Reduced support for programs like the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program and the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative would threaten essential access to testing, prevention, and treatment services that Latine, Black, and immigrant communities rely on every day.
On Tuesday, October 14th, the Latino Commission on AIDS held a community event in Atlanta through its Latinos in the South program, where Atlanta City Council Member Liliana Bakhtiari presented a proclamation for NLAAD.
"In a time when our communities are facing erasure and attacks on our very existence, remembering is a radical act. Our art, our stories, and our joy are proof that we have always been here in the South, and that we’re not going anywhere,” said Judith Montenegro, Program Director of Latinos in the South.
“We must continue to speak to this administration and to Congress to make sure that they understand that the United States has decided that we are ready to end the HIV epidemic, and in order to do that, they must keep up the funding that supports Black and Brown communities, and the communities that are most impacted,” said Maxx Boykin, Save HIV Funding Campaign Manager.
National Latine AIDS Awareness Day is both a day of recognition and a call to action. It underscores the critical importance of equitable healthcare access and the role of public funding in ensuring that the work to end the HIV epidemic remains on track. The SHF campaign continues to mobilize more than 150 partner organizations — from national advocacy groups to local service providers — to preserve this vital system of care.
As advocates, healthcare professionals, and community leaders across the country mark this day, SHF reaffirms its commitment to protecting HIV funding and advancing health equity. Sustaining federal investment in HIV prevention and treatment programs is not only a public-health priority — it is an act of care and solidarity with the communities that have carried this work forward for generations.
HIV FUNDING RESOURCE & FAST FACTS:
- Federal HIV programs have more than 35 years of bipartisan support: In 2003, President George W. Bush created PEPFAR (the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), which has saved 25 million lives worldwide. Domestically, Bush signed reauthorizations of the Ryan White CARE Act, expanding federal support for HIV care. Protecting HIV funding has historically been a bipartisan commitment to public health and stability.
- Federal HIV programs are cost-effective: Every $1 invested in HIV prevention saves the health care system $3 to $7 in future treatment costs. Cuts would increase long-term spending.
- Medicaid is the largest source of coverage for people with HIV in the U.S., covering roughly 40% of people living with HIV. Medicaid expansion has been associated with a 33% increase in PrEP prescriptions. Cuts to HIV funding would have ripple effects across the entire Medicaid system, limiting access to care for millions of low-income Americans.
- HIV care is part of the U.S. health care system: Federal HIV funding supports access to preventive care, primary care, mental health services, housing, and medications. Cutting these funds would destabilize programs millions of Americans depend on — including those living with chronic conditions, low-income families, and uninsured people.
- Over 1.2 million Americans are living with HIV, and over 500,000 rely on federal programs like the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program for lifesaving medication and care.
- HIV prevention funding protects everyone: The federal government funds access to PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), a daily medication that reduces the vulnerability of HIV by 99%. Rolling back funding would increase new HIV cases and long-term costs to the health care system.
- HIV funding is about more than one disease: These programs create a blueprint for coordinated, federally funded responses to health crises — from the opioid epidemic to COVID-19. Gutting HIV funding would weaken America’s preparedness for future public health threats.
- HIV funding protects vulnerable communities: Black and Latine communities account for more than 65% of new HIV diagnoses. Protecting these funds is about protecting racial and health equity.
THE #CUTSKILL QUILT
Inspired by the AIDS Memorial Quilt of the 1980s, the #CutsKill Quilt was designed and created by community members and HIV service providers from across the country and around the world, and honors lives lost while warning of the devastating impact that billions in proposed federal cuts would have on HIV prevention, treatment, housing, and care. Each panel of the #CutsKill Quilt represents programs, services, and communities currently at risk if funding is gutted.
First unveiled in Washington last month, coinciding with the U.S. Conference on HIV/AIDS (USCHA), the quilt sent a clear message: #CutsKill. And Congress must act now to reject the House’s FY26 proposal, which would devastate access to care and erase decades of progress in the fight to end the HIV epidemic.
With even more panels added since the September debut, the #CutsKill Quilt will make its next stop and unveiling in Atlanta this weekend. Please reach out for more details on location and how you can be part of the activation or cover as press.
Photos from the DC unveiling, courtesy Getty Images for the Save HIV Campaign, can be downloaded for editorial use here:
About the Save HIV Funding Campaign: Launched in 2023 by PrEP4All, AVAC, and the HIV Medicine Association in partnership with the Federal AIDS Policy Partnership, the Save HIV Funding campaign is supported by over 150 national and local organizations. The campaign began in response to proposed Congressional cuts to federal HIV programs and successfully helped avert $1.5 billion in domestic HIV funding cuts.
In early 2025, the campaign expanded in response to the Trump Administration’s escalating efforts to dismantle essential HIV services and infrastructure. Today, Save HIV Funding continues to mobilize advocates, patients, healthcare providers, and public figures to ensure access to lifesaving care for everyone impacted by HIV.
PRESS CONTACT
Tony Morrison
