History of Ryan White and RW Program
The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program is named after Ryan White, a teenager from Indiana who became a national advocate for HIV awareness after being diagnosed with AIDS at 13 from a contaminated blood treatment. His story brought attention to the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS and contributed to changing public perceptions. Following Ryan's death in 1990, Congress passed the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act, providing federal funding for HIV care, particularly for low-income and uninsured individuals. Over the years, the program expanded to include various services such as case management, dental care, and housing support, becoming the largest federally funded program for people living with HIV in the U.S.
In the New Orleans Eligible Metropolitan Area (EMA), Ryan White funding has been essential in addressing high HIV prevalence driven by poverty, limited healthcare access, and health disparities. The program enabled local agencies to provide comprehensive care to underserved populations. Since 1995, Ryan White funding has expanded to over 20 service categories to provide medical and supportive services to people living with HIV (PLWH) in Orleans and seven surrounding parishes.
RWSR - Who We Are
Ryan White Services and Resources (RWSR), a division of the New Orleans Health Department, funds agencies to provide HIV treatment and prevention-related services in the New Orleans metro area. The primary grants that support the efforts include HRSA Ryan White Part A and HRSA and CDC Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) grants.
RWSR disseminates these funds to local agencies to provide services to eligible individuals residing in Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. John, and St. Tammany parishes.
RWSR collaborates closely with community planning groups to ensure services are reflective of needs in the area and reach the population affected by HIV. Consider participating in the following groups to help expand efforts to end the HIV epidemic:
- NORAPC: The New Orleans Regional AIDS Planning Council is the planning body for the Ryan White Part A grant that prioritizes and allocates funds based on needs by reviewing data and receiving input from persons living with HIV and other community stakeholders.
- Fast-Track Cities: The New Orleans EMA is also a part of the international initiative Fast Track Cities to end HIV.
- Bounce to Zero:
Funding
New Orleans receives Ryan White Emergency Relief and Ending the HIV Epidemic grants to support efforts to expand services and support persons living with HIV, implement innovative activities to engage PLWH who are out of care to get in care, improve health outcomes to reach undetectable viral loads and prevent new cases of HIV. Individuals with undetectable viral loads can live long and healthy lives and cannot sexually transmit HIV to others.
- Ryan White Part A Grant- The Ryan White Part A grant is the foundation of RWSR funds. Part A are funds to eligible metro areas with more than 2000 AIDS cases. This grant funds life-saving services to support PLWH. The City of New Orleans has been a recipient of this grant since 1995. More information about the Ryan White grant: https://ryanwhite.hrsa.gov/about/parts-and-initiatives/part-a
- HRSA Ending the HIV Epidemic Grant- The HRSA Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) grant aims to reduce new HIV infections by providing resources and funding to implement strategies that align with national goals. This grant supports local initiatives focused on diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and outbreak response, enabling RWSR to enhance its efforts in combating HIV and improving health outcomes for individuals in our care. More information about EHE grant funded by HRSA: https://www.hrsa.gov/ending-hiv-epidemic
- CDC Ending the HIV Epidemic Grant-The CDC Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) grant offers funding to support public health initiatives aimed at reducing HIV transmission and improving care for those living with HIV. This grant provides essential resources that allow RWSR to implement effective diagnosis and prevention strategies, ultimately enhancing our community’s response to the HIV epidemic. More information about EHE grant funded by CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/ehe/index.html