HIV/AIDS on the South Carolina budget chopping block

According to reports, South Carolina legislators are considering the halt for HIV/AIDS funding in the state in the latest of huge budget cuts that are affecting everything from schools to prisons.

South Carolina is considering cutting their entire $5.9 million budget for HIV/AIDS medication assistance program for uninsured and under insured residents. They simultaneously agreed to keep in a $10 million loan for the Heritage Golf Tournament at Hilton Head, SC.

South Carolina ranks eighth in the country in new, reported cases of HIV/AIDS. The state spends about $5.9 million per year for a program that assists low-income individuals with the purchase of HIV/AIDS medication. The drugs are considered life saving for those with the disease. However, the current SC budget eliminates all funding for the medication which would leave many individuals without the means to fight the disease. The program provides assistance for under-insured and uninsured sufferers of HIV/AIDS. Joe Neal, Democratic representative from Richland, is proposing a partial cut that would reduce the budget for HIV/AIDS medication by about about 60 percent. But it would, at least, continue to provide some help.

The current budget also eliminates all funding for HIV/AIDS prevention programs. The disease inhibits the body’s immune system, making victims especially susceptible to sickness and death. Without medication, it is conceivable that many more people may find themselves in hospitals fighting sicknesses like pneumonia. It is estimated that about 14,000 South Carolinians have HIV/AIDS.

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