AIDS Funds Target
Southern U.S.

Nearly 30 community-based organizations in nine Southern states will receive aid in their efforts to reduce the spread of HIV. The National AIDS Fund, the Ford Foundation, and the Elton John AIDS Foundation have joined in support of Southern REACH, a new fund to help high-risk populations in the southeastern United States.

Nonprofit organizations in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida (specifically Northern Florida), Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North and South Carolina, and Tennessee will be eligible for grants averaging $45,000.

According to the National AIDS Fund, eight of the top 10 states with the highest percentages of HIV-positive African-Americans are in the South. Furthermore, six of the top 10 states with the highest percentages of HIV-positive women are in the region.

The Elton John AIDS Foundation added a $250,000 donation to the Ford Foundation's $1.55 million offer.

"While a lot has been accomplished in support of HIV prevention and care, there is still much that needs to be done to help people who are often left out of the public health dialog," said Scott Campbell, executive director of the Elton John AIDS Foundation. "HIV/AIDS continues to spread into all areas of the U.S., especially the Deep South. There is no excuse to overlook people without access to health care or information in order to save lives and prevent an epidemic from spreading." (The Advocate)