The Trump administration has made several policy changes that could potentially impact HIV prevention and treatment efforts in Florida
South Florida has one of the highest HIV and AIDS infection rates in the country. Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach each rank in the top 5% of counties for transmission of the virus, which weakens the immune system.
Local HIV research and response efforts are on the chopping block as part of the administration's cuts to federal grants and funding.
Elizabeth Sherman, a pharmacy professor at Nova Southeastern University and a board member of the HIV Medicine Association, said on the "South Florida Roundup" that such funding cuts could hamper innovation and research.
" If you slow down the pipeline of scientific discovery, now you have delays in developing better HIV medicines. You slow down the development of new ways to prevent HIV. You can't forget that. HIV evolves like the common cold. We need tomorrow's medicines tomorrow," she said.
Florida's largest universities have already lost about $30 million for HIV efforts this year.
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