(The Center Square) – An Illinois-based Black health advocacy group is demanding more tax dollars for Black HIV care.
Officials from the group Black Leadership Advocacy Coalition for Healthcare Equity (BLACHE) said the Black community continues to struggle with HIV.
“Despite the rate of infections going down across the state among other ethnicities, African Americans continue to comprise 47% of new cases,” said BLACHE Board Chair Creola Hampton.
Hampton claims the state is withholding funds that were promised four years ago and believes white organizations are getting preferential treatment from the state.
“You cannot justify 96% of your budget going to White-led organizations,” said Hampton. “You’re not going to cut funding for them, but funding that was promised to Black-led organizations that were promised the funding, it’s called a default of contract. We should be suing the state.”
State Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana, said funding may be more difficult to secure in the future because of President Donald Trump.
“Unfortunately, because of the new administration in the White House, we will face additional challenges to protecting our communities,” said Ammons. “As with so many other actions this president has taken, the shock and the confusion are having devastating effects in our communities.”
Gov. J.B. Pritzker recently signed an executive order to reduce health disparities by ensuring the state is investing in agencies, programs and services that work to end the HIV and AIDS epidemic.
