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Yesterday, on #WorldAIDSDay @NYGovCuomo released a statement congratulating himself on his successes toward “bending the curve” of the #HIV epidemic. It was misleading at best. https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/world-aids-day-governor-cuomo-announces-new-york-state-has-bent-curve-hiv-epidemic#:~:text=%22Today%20is%20World%20AIDS%20Day,record%20lows%20in%20New%20York. /1
It is outrageous that the Governor tried to use World AIDS Day to mask and divert attention from deep cuts to our State’s HIV response that signal the Governor’s abandonment of his own historic plan for Ending the Epidemic in NYS. https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/aids/ending_the_epidemic/docs/blueprint.pdf /2
We gathered outside his NYC office yesterday to tell him as much https://twitter.com/Bike_at_W4/status/1333849042888122376 /3
. @NYgovcuomo was correct that tremendous progress has been made towards our EtE goals but does not acknowledge deep setbacks due to the #COVID-19 pandemic, or negligence by the State
https://twitter.com/mynameisjro/status/1333889355723706370?s=20 /4
https://twitter.com/mynameisjro/status/1333889355723706370?s=20 /4
CHCs and HIV service providers that are the backbone of our EtE efforts in the low-income Black and Latino/Hispanic communities are hard hit by both HIV and #COVID19 but the administration seems to think racial health disparities are. . . new? https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/491797-cuomo-on-disproportionate-minority-covid-deaths-why-do-the-poorest /5
Even worse, HIV/AIDS providers across the state face funding cuts that will reverse progress, shutter programs, cause clinic closures and deny providers the resources they need to provide critical HIV services during a global pandemic @GayCityNews https://www.gaycitynews.com/healthcare-providers-warn-of-looming-changes-to-drug-discount-program/ /6
The Governor’s self-congratulatory statement also neglected to mention the proposed “carve out” of Medicaid pharmacy benefits, stripping Federal 340B drug discounts from all safety net providers in the State. #DontCutTheNet go here http://savenysafetynet.com /7
The statement incorrectly boasts about 2019 data showing New York State has successfully “bent the curve” on the HIV epidemic but fails to acknowledge the devastating impact of the 2020 COVID crisis on our EtE efforts @AmidaCareNY https://www.amidacareny.org/wp-content/uploads/ETE-COVID_Issue-Brief_10-2020.pdf /8
Likewise, touting the *long overdue* @HealthNYGov approval of two syringe exchange programs upstate is a ploy to divert attention from this @filtermag @SessiBlanchard @endoverdoseny https://filtermag.org/hiv-outbreak-monroe-county/ /9
