6,000 in Broward Without Medical Care for HIV

The Independent Community News September 7, 2006 By Michael Rajner Guest Editorial Fort Lauderdale, FL - AIDS is still a major problem in Broward County. As was publicized recently, Broward County has the highest rate of incidence of new cases of HIV of any county in the entire United States. African Americans continue to be the most impacted race in Broward County accounting for 52% of the total, while Men Having Sex with Men account for 43% of the Broward’s HIV/AIDS population. On August 24, a group of African American women living with AIDS that serve on the Broward HIV Planning Council demanded, in no uncertain terms, that funding for Outreach to ALL populations be increased. The women shared passionately with those present that had it not been for Outreach initiatives many of them would not be in medical care, or possibly even alive, today. In the past two years of attending HIV Planning Council meetings I have never seen such a positive and passionate display of courage from members of the HIV Planning Council that live with HIV. The women successfully led the argument in a close and controversial vote to increase the funding for Outreach to all populations irregardless of race. Broward County Mayor Ben Graber was absent for this vote, as he has been for other votes for the past two and a half years. He turned his back on the HIV/AIDS community when he stopped participating on the HIV Planning Council and failed to provide any leadership. At the same meeting on August 24, the primary task of the day was the ever-controversial duty of allocating a requested amount that exceeds $17 million in federal funds for the 2007/08 Ryan White CARE Act Title I Grant Application. In an arduous process to meet the terms and conditions of the grant application, this governing body hastily placed a cap on income of $29,400 - three times the Federal Poverty Limit (FPL) for primary medical care (including medical services, prescriptions, mental health, substance abuse and more). Essentially, the county has now created a barrier that abandons individuals living with HIV/AIDS of primary medical care should these individuals earn more than that amount annually. Many of these people have no other funding source to access primary medical care. I would like to know how could ANY employee of a local AIDS Service Organization that enjoys the benefits of health insurance advocate for such a position? Where are the advocacy efforts and resources provided by our local AIDS Service Organizations for ALL persons living with HIV/AIDS? And when will Mayor Graber, a practicing physician no less, take the lead in the campaign for Broward County Commission to meet the fiscal challenge and make up the shortfall in federal funds? All of us living with, and affected by, HIV need to speak up. We need to wake people from their apathy and complacency to help them to advocate for their own needs. My plea is to the former activists out there. Your tireless years of dedication and work inspired sick people not to give up and to work to obtain the means of continued life. Please help provide the guidance and tools to the next generation of AIDS Activists to come. A week or so ago one Friday I joined with others outside “Georgie’s Alibi” in Wilton Manors and offered people the opportunity to sign the AIDS Vote Petition which called on Florida Gubernatorial candidates from both parties “...to work to develop, fund and implement a plan to end the AIDS epidemic in Florida, in the U.S. and around the world – a plan that would include universal access to prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010.” More than sixty percent of the people that walked by the table that evening signed the AIDS Vote petition and even encouraged their friends to sign it with them. We also offered free condoms - an activity seldom seen anymore in Fort Lauderdale gay bars. That night we provided almost 1,000 condoms to those that wanted them. Gay men welcomed receiving the means to protect themselves from HIV and other STD’s. The owner of Chardee’s and The Courtyard Cafe over the road on Wilton Drive requested that we set up a table outside for so their Sunday brunch customers could have an opportunity to sign the AIDS Vote Petition. The potential for community support is clearly there. Broward County AIDS Service Organizations need to wake up. We need to teach more advocacy, education and prevention to succeed in helping to prevent new people from having to enter the tangled and confusing web of AIDS care. Who knows, one day, we may even present the paradigm where funding for HIV/AIDS is no longer needed. Will YOU help AIDS activists to bring the scourge of AIDS to an end? Michael Rajner serves as National Secretary for the Campaign to End AIDS and as an Alternate Member of the Broward County HIV Health Services Planning Council. The above article represents only his personal opinions. Rajner was awarded The Independent’s 2006 “Male Activist of the Year Award.” He can be contacted at merajner@gmail.com or (954) 272-8131.