The Trump Administration announced a pause in funding for its Flagship Aids relief program. This could be detrimental for organizations that provide testing and resources for people with HIV and Aids.


The Erie County Department of Health offers a variety of services, especially when it comes to public health.
Colleen Wallace, the Director of Community Health Services for the Erie County Department of Health said, "Anything that touches you is going to be vital. And something that's HIV could be extremely detrimental, if you are not tested and treated. When you know you have it, there are great treatments for it, it's something you can easily live with. It's not the death sentence that it once was years ago."


In recent years, they have done a lot to provide resources and testing for HIV and aids. According to Wallace, "We have a very robust testing with our STI Clinic and HIV is part of that and we do not foresee that going away."


They work with different community partners to provide these services too. As Wallace described, "The HIV task force that includes partners in the community such as PA Thrive, Adagio Health, Community Health Net."


Rumblings that cuts to funding could be coming from the federal government for HIV and Aids, has led some people to be concerned, but health department officials said even if this were to happen, their testing wouldn't be effected. "The majority is from the state, we do get some funding from federal funds. So if the federal funds were to be lost, we would cut back on some things, but one of the things that we have that we are very proud of is our condom distribution program, so we might not have as many condoms to hand out", said Wallace


Wallace said that the health and wellness of community members would remain their top priority. For more information on the services the Health Department provides, click here.