KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City, Missouri, City Council will decide on Thursday whether to accept and approve a grant worth over $375,000 from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (MDHSS) focused on "ending" the HIV epidemic in Kansas City.
If approved, the Ending the HIV Epidemic campaign will aim to reduce HIV infections in the Kansas City, Missouri, area by 75% over the next five years, and by 90% over the next 10 years.
The campaign would provide resources such as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, a daily medication that reduces the chance of getting HIV, expansion of HIV testing and increasing opportunities for HIV care. It would also aim to build new partners for Kansas City's HIV Services Program and support other community-based programs.
The $375,879 grant would work to diagnose, treat and prevent HIV, while also addressing possible outbreaks. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is providing the funding to states like Missouri that have a "substantial HIV burden."
As of 2019, 25.3 cases of HIV per 100,000 people in the Kansas City area. In 2020, 206 new HIV cases were identified.
