Congressman Cohen Announces $4.7 Million HIV Emergency Relief Grant to Shelby County

WASHINGTON - Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced that Shelby County will receive a $4,718,292 emergency relief grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for its Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program.

Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

"The Ryan White HIV/AIDS program has been successful in preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS and in providing treatment to those in need in our community. This significant grant funding will help Shelby County provide care for those affected by HIV and AIDS, and it will improve treatment outcomes for patients in Shelby County. Ultimately, it will save lives."

The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program provides a comprehensive system of care that includes primary medical care and essential support services for people living with HIV who are uninsured or underinsured. The Program works with cities, states, and local community-based organizations to provide HIV care and treatment services to more than half a million people each year.

The grant program is named for Ryan White, an Indiana teenager and hemophiliac who contracted AIDS from infected blood. He died in 1990.

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