South Carolinians Rally as More Die on ADAP Waiting Lists
Posted by , May 25, 2010 at 9:25pm
Hundreds demand that S.C. legislature end ADAP emergency
Three hundred activists—startled by skyrocketing waitlists for critical AIDS medication—staged a rally on the steps of the South Carolina statehouse in Columbia on Tuesday.
The protest was a reaction to the growing number of people on AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) waitlists. This joint federal-state program provides essential AIDS medications to poor people living with HIV.
On Wednesday, activists will launch a nationwide call-to-action demanding that politicians urgently address the ADAP crisis. Lend your voice to the call-in effort.
1,143 in Need
In South Carolina, 112 people are waiting for critical AIDS drugs, according to a May 21 ADAP Watch document.
“It’s simply not a priority,” said Housing Works’ Director of National Organizing Larry Bryant, who attended the rally.
Prompted by the recent death of a South Carolinian waiting for medication from ADAP, the event also memorialized Stephanie Williams, a former co-chair of the S.C. Campaign to End AIDS who played an instrumental role in forcing South Carolina to take action on its lack of ADAP funding in 2007.
The waitlists have resurfaced, and the rally of 10-plus organizations gathered under a gray May sky in Columbia served as a potent reminder that Williams’ fight has yet to be won. Members of the Campaign to End AIDS participated in the demonstration.
The South Carolina crisis is not unique — waitlists have ballooned since the economy tanked, forcing state governments to slash budgets. At least 1,143 people nationwide are waiting for ADAP medications. Ten states now have wait lists — North Carolina’s tops the charts at 602 individuals — and ADAP Watch predicts several more states will create lists in the coming year.
On Monday, Senators Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Richard Burr (R-NC), introduced a bill that would send $126 million in stimulus funds to the Department of Health and Human Services to resolve ADAP problems, including the waitlists. The senators now seek additional Congressional support for the bill.
Activists argue that by not properly funding ADAP, state and federal governments will eventually pay more — not less — to help HIV-positive individuals.
“The ironic thing is that providing prescription medications to poor people living with AIDS actually saves the state money by keeping people well,” said Karen Bates, who fought with Williams to eliminate waitlists in 2007.
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