skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Monday, December 23, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Suspect held after woman set on fire in NY subway car dies; Trump threatens to take back Panama Canal over 'ridiculous' fees; A year of growth for juvenile diversion programs in SD; The ups and downs of combating rural grocery deserts in ND; Report: AZ one of eight Western states that could improve conservation policies.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Congress passes a last-minute budget stopgap. Trump's second-term tariffs could harm farmers, and future budget cuts could reduce much-needed federal programs.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rural folks could soon be shut out of loans for natural disasters if Project 2025 has its way, Taos, New Mexico weighs options for its housing shortage, and the top states providing America's Christmas trees revealed.

Arkansas Awaits Details of Trump's HIV Prevention Program

play audio
Play

Monday, March 11, 2019   

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Public-health advocates in Arkansas are still waiting to hear the details of a recently announced federal initiative aimed at ending new HIV infections in the U.S.

During his State of the Union address in February, President Donald Trump announced a plan designed to cut new infections by 75 percent in five years and 90 percent in 10 years. Arkansas is one of seven states with high rates of the deadly virus where the program will be focused.

Cornelius Mabin, president and CEO at the health education group Arkansas RAPPS, said while the state does have one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS in the country, they have only heard sketchy details of what exactly the plan entails.

"The plan that the Trump administration is talking about is to really look out into more of the rural parts of Arkansas or the rural parts of the state, where we do have some issues with people finding care, and continuing in care and finding clinicians and facilities out in those areas,” Mabin said.

Arkansas RAPPS is a foundation that operates programs across the state to treat and prevent HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C and other infectious diseases. The president's program is aimed at preventing new cases of HIV/AIDS, focusing initially in Arkansas, Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and South Carolina, as well as 48 "high-burden" counties.

Mabin said the rate of HIV/AIDS in Arkansas falls disproportionately on minority and LGBTQ populations.

"According to our epidemiologist, we have 5,380 individuals who live with HIV here in Arkansas,” he said. “We do know that primarily people of color, blacks, African-American men basically 18-24. We've seen increases and we've concentrated our efforts in that area. "

Mabin said his group already participates in established HIV programs, but his main concern is with how much money the new program will provide and when Arkansas officials will see it.

"We haven't really had adequate time to get all of the details of it, but I understand where they're trying to go,” Mabin said. “But technically, what we've been using here is the National HIV Strategy, which was already done from the Obama administration."

According to the U.S. Health and Human Services Department, the new efforts will focus on four key strategies: Diagnose, Treat, Protect, and Respond.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
The Federal Trade Commission reported older adults are less likely to report scams than those ages 18-59. Because the majority of fraud cases are not reported, the commission estimates national losses last year alone may be as high as $61.5 billion. (fizkes/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

The holidays are the busiest time of the year for many people, including scammers. Oregonians lost $136 million to holiday shopping scams last year…


Environment

play sound

Across Pennsylvania and other northern U.S. states, climate change -- from burning oil, coal and methane gas -- is increasing the number of winter …

Social Issues

play sound

The Internal Revenue Service will be in the crosshairs in the second Trump administration, as the president-elect's recently announced choice to run …


Millions of families across the U.S. depend on home-based child care, with over 750,000 children enrolled in these programs, often because parents consider them more flexible than traditional child care centers. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Alabama is part of a national program aimed at diversifying early childhood education. The Enriching Public Pre-K Through Inclusion of Family Child …

Social Issues

play sound

West Virginia schools' reliance on zero-tolerance policies are driving more kids into the juvenile justice system - with lifelong consequences…

Critics argue Florida's book removals limit access to important information. At the same time, state officials insist they ensure only age-appropriate materials remain in schools, rejecting claims of outright bans as a "hoax." (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Recent changes to Florida's education laws have removed information on consent, contraceptives and prenatal development from many health lessons at …

Health and Wellness

play sound

If you find yourself in a less than festive mood this holiday season, you are not alone. In Wisconsin, the recent school shooting tragedy in Madison …

Environment

play sound

By Jennifer Oldham for Civil Eats.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021