For Immediate Release
CONTACT: Christina Adeleke, cadeleke@aidsunited.org; communications@aidsunited.org
PACHA Members Advocate to Sec. Kennedy for Continued Investment in HIV Funding Ahead of Senate Hearing
Washington, D.C., May 27, 2025 – On May 14, 2025, several members of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA) shared a letter in support of HIV funding and programs that was sent to Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This communication was shared with Congressional health staffers with the intention of providing critical insights into advancing the HIV response both across the United States and globally, prior to the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing that was held on May 14, 2025, with Secretary Kennedy.
The PACHA members who signed the letter to Secretary Kennedy include: Violeta Acuna, Wendy Armstrong, MD, Kellan Baker, PhD, MPH, MA (PACHA co-chair), Philip A. Chan, MD, Raniyah Copeland, Mackenzie Copley, Paul Kawata, Duvia Lozano, Tiommi Luckett, Deondre B. Moore, Leo Moore, MD, MSHPM, Marlene McNeese (PACHA co-chair), Jesse Milan Jr., JD (President and CEO of AIDS United), Jirair Ratevosian, DrPH, MPH, Natalie Sanchez, MPH, Patrick Sullivan, DVM, PhD, Marvell Terry II, Hansel Tookes, MD, MPH, Carole Treston, RN, FAAN, and Dafina Ward, JD.
In the letter, the undersigned members of PACHA outline a set of recommendations aimed at maintaining and strengthening both domestic and global HIV responses. The key recommendations include:
- Strengthen the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative.
- Preserve Federal investments in HIV prevention.
- Maintain critical HIV infrastructure, expertise, and funding across the Federal agencies and in the Administration for a Healthy America.
- Pursue full implementation of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS).
- Continue the United States’ commitment to the global HIV/AIDS response.
- Fund HIV research.
- Maintain an active PACHA in its full capacity throughout the Administration.
The letter to Secretary Kennedy emphasizes the urgency of sustained leadership and investment in HIV initiatives. It also reflects the collective commitment of those PACHA members, who represent a diverse coalition of experts, community leaders, and individuals living with HIV, to ensure that the progress we have achieved with HIV over the past several decades not only continues but is also accelerated.
“We cannot afford to lose the momentum we have gained to end HIV in the United States. Congress must ensure that the cost saving programs for HIV prevention and care are clearly prioritized within the HHS restructure plan, and the federal budget.” – Marlene McNeese, co-chair of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA)
“HIV is now considered a chronic disease thanks to the bipartisan efforts of numerous Administrations. Continued leadership, funding, and collaboration are essential to the goal of delivering on the promise of an HIV-free future in our lifetime. Investment in HIV prevention and treatment is not just a public health necessity — it is a strategic, moral, and economic imperative.” – Kellan Baker, PhD, MPH, MA, co-chair of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA)
A full copy of the letter can be found here: Letter to Secretary Kennedy on HIV Funding and Programs.
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About Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS – The Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS provides advice, information, and recommendations to the Secretary of Health & Human Services regarding programs, policies, and research to promote effective treatment, prevention, and cure of HIV disease and AIDS, including considering common comorbidities as needed to promote effective HIV diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and quality services. This includes advice, information, and recommendations to the Secretary regarding the development and implementation of the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. initiative.
About AIDS United – AIDS United’s mission is to end the HIV epidemic in the U.S. through strategic grant-making, capacity-building, and policy/advocacy. AIDS United works to ensure access to life-saving HIV care and prevention services and to advance sound HIV-related policy for populations and communities most impacted by the U.S. epidemic. As of January 2021, our strategic grant-making initiatives have directly funded more than $118 million to local communities, and we have leveraged more than $184 million in additional investments for programs that include, but are not limited to, syringe access, access to care, capacity-building, HIV prevention, and advocacy. Learn more at www.aidsunited.org.
