Trump administration considers plan to eliminate CDC's HIV prevention division
The Trump administration is expected to drastically downsize the CDC's Division of HIV Prevention, a senior official with the Department of Health and Human Services said Tuesday.
The Trump administration is considering a plan to eliminate the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s division focused on HIV prevention and potentially move its responsibilities over to another department within the Department of Health and Human Services, according to a source familiar with the plan.
The plan to eliminate the CDC's Division on HIV Prevention is still in the "very, very preliminary stages," the source said, and no final call has been made yet.
A memo circling among HIV prevention advocates — who began hearing rumors of the possible move earlier Tuesday — claimed that the plan could be implemented within "48 hours," but the source said it would likely "be a little longer than that."
HIV prevention advocates warned the drastic change could force states to bear the burden on prevention programs and could cost U.S. taxpayers millions of dollars if the virus resurges.
There are approximately 1.1 to 1.2 million people who are highly vulnerable to acquiring HIV in the U.S., according to Jesse Milan, president and CEO of AIDS United, a nonprofit group.
Rating: 5