To: President Donald Trump

Support federal resources to fight HIV/AIDS in the South

We, the undersigned, applaud the White House and the Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP) for the National HIV/AIDS Strategy and the initiation of the 12 Cities Project. However, there is an urgent need to initiate the next steps towards eradicating HIV/AIDS.

The evidence is clear: The Southeast has the highest rates of both new HIV diagnoses and HIV deaths, as well as poor social determinants of health. We therefore request that resources be targeted to develop models of integrated HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment for rural, midsize, and urban communities typical of those in the Southeastern region of the United States.

Why is this important?

The South leads the country in new diagnoses of HIV/AIDS.

Death rates in the South are among the highest in the US — 9 of the 10 states with the highest age-adjusted HIV case death rates are in the South.

African Americans are disproportionally represented among new HIV diagnoses in the South. 50% of men and 71% of women diagnosed with HIV in the South were African American.