SAVE HIV FUNDING CAMPAIGN SOUNDS ALARM ON PERFECT STORM EMERGING FOR HIV CARE WITH STATE AND FEDERAL CUTS COLLIDING ACROSS THE COUNTRY, RELEASES RAPID RESPONSE MEDIA RESOURCE KIT AND STATEMENTS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JANUARY 14, 2026 – Organizers of the Save HIV Funding campaign, together with its partner organizations, today announced the release of a rapid response media resource kit as HIV/AIDS advocates across the nation sound the alarm on multiple, devastating funding threats converging at once, creating a perfect storm for people living with and vulnerable to HIV, with a priority on an unfolding public health crisis in Florida brought on by changes announced by the Florida Department of Health (FDOH).
Most notably last week, Florida service organizations were notified of major forthcoming restrictions to the state’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) that could lead to at minimum 16,000 people losing access to lifesaving services after March 1. Comprehensive fact sheets, patient impact analysis, and FAQ’s are included in the media kit below.
In addition, the Save HIV Funding campaign has obtained letters, shared across community listservs, from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a key agency within the Department of Health and Human Services charged with addressing HIV/AIDS for communities impacted by the opioid crisis. It has been reported that the cuts to vital mental health and substance use programs approach $2 billion and include critical HIV prevention grants, affecting all 50 states. The Save HIV Funding campaign is working with advocates across states to closely monitor reports of major health service disruptions nationwide, while continuing to fight nearly $2B in proposed HIV funding cuts in federal FY26 appropriations bills. Failure to pass these bills before January 30th will result in a lapse of funding for these critical programs.
The Save HIV Funding campaign has provided statements from its organizers & partner organizations, and has released a rapid response media kit to help journalists and the general public track these simultaneous attacks and fully understand their devastating consequences for people living with or vulnerable to HIV:
ACCESS THE RAPID RESPONSE MEDIA KIT HERE
Additional Resources (also linked in the above main kit):
Media Framing and Reporting Angles
Statement by Jeremiah Johnson, Executive Director, PrEP4All and Co-Founder, Save HIV Funding Campaign: “Visibility on these interrelated and simultaneous attacks will be critical to preventing a catastrophic return to the darkest days of the AIDS crisis. Those working to undermine HIV funding are not only showing inhuman cruelty toward people living with or vulnerable to HIV, but they are also being fiscally reckless. For every dollar invested in HIV prevention, three to seven dollars are saved.”
Statement by Maxx Boykin, Manager, Save HIV Funding Campaign: “We spent all of 2025 fighting massive proposed funding cuts from the House majority, and now, as 2026 begins, the cancer is spreading. After the White House’s unprecedented decision not to honor World AIDS Day last month, we’re seeing a major federal agency scrap critical preventive services that disproportionately benefit red states, alongside a direct attack on people living with HIV from Governor DeSantis’ Department of Health. We are also closely investigating reports of other major funding disruptions across the United States.”
Statement by Kamaria Laffrey, Co-Executive Director, The SERO Project and Florida Resident: “Floridians living with HIV are entering the new year with enormous anxiety, uncertain whether they’ll be able to access treatment in just weeks with very little notice. This is deeply personal for me—not only do I rely on this coverage to stay virally suppressed, but I also need it to manage other health issues as I age with HIV. With no warning and no transparency, this feels like a random and unjustified attack on people simply trying to live.”
Statement by Kathie M. Hiers, CEO, AIDS Alabama: “Alabama organizations are being decimated by the Administration’s sweeping and sudden cuts to SAMHSA grants. Six AIDS Service Organizations, including AIDS Alabama, received notice last night that their grants were terminated, effective immediately. These grants, which provide almost $12 million each year, serve about 5,000 people annually with mental health and substance use treatment, prevention, and housing services. A small state like Alabama cannot replace this funding. We will see a spike in new HIV cases if we have the money to test for new cases!”
Statement by Paul Samuels, Director and President, Legal Action Center:
“The cancellation of $2 billion in SAMHSA grants will directly impact the ability of organizations all across the country to provide critical substance use prevention, treatment, HIV and hepatitis, harm reduction, education, and support services to people who need it most. It is a bizarre and extraordinarily harmful move from an Administration that has claimed to want to end the HIV epidemic and support rural communities that have been hit hardest by the opioid crisis.”
ACCESS THE RAPID RESPONSE MEDIA KIT HERE
Additional Resources (also linked in the above main kit):
Media Framing and Reporting Angles
Press Contact:
Morrison Media Group
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.
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