MILWAUKEE — Vivent Health has grown to become the second-largest provider of HIV prevention, care, and treatment services in the nation.
However, officials are concerned that funding could be cut by the Trump administration after recent reports that officials are weighing whether to cut the Centers for Disease Control's HIV program.
Bill Keeton, the chief advocacy officer for Vivent Health, has dedicated two decades to securing resources to increase access to HIV care for some of the most vulnerable members of the community.
"What we know is that HIV continues to disproportionately impact communities that are already marginalized," Keeton said. "Folks of color, people from the LGBTQ community, folks who live in healthcare environments that are not as well-resourced, or public health programs are not reaching them."
Watch: Leading Milwaukee HIV care provider warns funding cuts would be devastating
Keeton is raising alarms following reports that the Trump administration is considering cuts to the $1.2 billion-per-year CDC program that helps combat the spread of HIV.
"Over the last several years, new HIV diagnoses are going down, and that's a direct result of the programs that we've been able to offer to folks who are most vulnerable to HIV," Keeton explained.
Vivent Health receives nearly $2 million a year from the CDC.
Ryan Jenkins from TMJ4 News: "And so if that funding goes away, what would the risk be?"
Bill Keeton: "The risk is that we end up going backward in the nation's work to confront and eliminate HIV as an epidemic."
Despite a decline in transmission rates, government data indicates that in 2022, there were nearly 32,000 estimated new HIV infections nationwide—a number Keeton believes could climb significantly if testing and prevention services experience funding cuts.
Vivent Health is hosting a fundraiser on April 6 to raise money so they can continue to provide assistance to individuals living with HIV. The fundraising gala is sold out. Learn more about how to donate online HERE.
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