HIV funding cuts will hinder Ohio treatment and prevention, LGBTQ+ health group says
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — An Ohio healthcare system tailored to the LGBTQ+ community says federal cuts to HIV funding could undo progress in treating and preventing new cases, possibly leading to deadly ramifications.
David Munar, CEO of Equitas Health, said the healthcare company is joining 13 other systems nationwide in opposing Trump administration plans to eliminate the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's division focused on HIV prevention. Munar argues that the cuts, which will hinder efforts to track and prevent future HIV outbreaks, will have a chilling domino effect.
'Ohio stands to lose, not only the funding, but also the ability to fight the epidemic in our state, and the ability to curve the epidemic for our people,' Munar said. 'Every case, every new infection means a lifetime cost of a half-a-million dollars. So, it's not even the human suffering, but economically it's also a big step back.'
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NBC4 reached out to Sens. Jon Husted and Bernie Moreno from Ohio for statements about the threat to the public health workforce and federal funding but have yet to receive responses. A statement from Gov. Mike DeWine said, 'We do not have immediate comment as many of these announcements are fluid.'
Munar said concern for some of the healthcare company's funding started this year when Trump ordered a freeze on domestic and foreign federal aid at the end of January. The appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the new secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services further fueled those worries, Munar said. Now, Equitas is continuing to provide care for Ohioans living with HIV, while also developing backup plans as the federal budget evolves.
'Making these investments also makes us better prepared for the epidemics that are on the rise,' Munar said. 'The better we are at tracking and preventing things like HIV [and] STIs makes us more nimble.'
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The administration's plans to dial back HIV funding have also caught the attention of Ohio LGBTQ+ advocates like Gil Kudrin. A long-term HIV survivor, Kudrin spoke at the inaugural 'State of the LGBTQ+ Community' meeting in Cleveland in late February after concern a program delegating treatment grants for low-income HIV patients could be the next target of cuts.
'If there is a 90-day interruption for that medication funding, it is likely in the following year there will be 109,000 deaths attributed to that interruption of treatment,' Kudrin said at the meeting.
Kurdin's plea is especially poignant in a state like Ohio, which is home to six laws that have yielded at least 214 HIV-related criminal prosecutions from 2014 to 2020. While Statehouse proposals to repeal or alter those laws have been unsuccessful, Kurdin encouraged community members to continue advocating for the 27,000 Ohioans living with HIV.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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