Aliveness Project is deeply concerned by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s decision not to renew the Comprehensive High-Impact HIV Prevention Programs for Community-Based Organizations (PS21-2102). For more than three decades, this funding has allowed community-based organizations across the country to provide trusted, evidence-based HIV prevention services to the people and communities most impacted by HIV.
For Aliveness, this represents approximately $450,000 annually that has supported HIV testing, outreach, linkage to care, and connections to PrEP. While reports indicate these funds may transition to Minnesota’s State Health Department, the uncertainty surrounding this change places critical community-based prevention services at risk.
The impact of this investment in Minnesota has been significant. Through this program, Aliveness administered 6,297 HIV tests, identifying 56 positive results, including 51 new HIV diagnoses. More than 96% of individuals who tested positive were linked to HIV medical care within 30 days, ensuring people received treatment quickly and improving both individual and community health outcomes. In addition, more than 6,100 HIV-negative participants were screened and referred for PrEP, connecting thousands of Minnesotans to one of the most effective tools available to prevent HIV.
These outcomes were possible because Aliveness meets people where they are. Aliveness Project provides HIV testing and prevention services not only in clinical settings, but also through mobile outreach, shelters, substance use treatment programs, bars and clubs, encampments, and community events. Many of the people we serve face barriers to accessing traditional healthcare, making trusted, low-barrier community services essential to ending the HIV epidemic.
The success of HIV prevention has always depended on strong partnerships between public health agencies and community-based organizations. Together, we have built decades of trust, expanded access to prevention and care, and reduced the number of people living with undiagnosed HIV. Preserving that infrastructure is essential to protecting the progress Minnesota has made.
“Let me say it the way Washington never will: these cuts mean more people will acquire HIV who did not have to, and more people will die who did not have to,” said Matt Toburen, Executive Director of Aliveness Project. “For the first time in 45 years, the end of this epidemic was within reach, and the federal government is choosing to drag us backward. They are walking away from the very work that finds people, connects them to care, and stops this virus from spreading. Aliveness is not going anywhere. We were born from a community that refused to be abandoned, and we will keep fighting for every person who walks through our doors.”
As responsibility for this funding shifts to the Minnesota Department of Health, we are hopeful that Minnesota will continue its long tradition of investing in community-based HIV prevention. We look forward to working with MDH to develop a thoughtful, community-centered plan that builds on decades of success and ensures experienced community-based organizations remain at the heart of Minnesota’s Plan to End HIV. The decisions made in the coming months will shape the future of HIV prevention in our state, and we are committed to partnering in that work to ensure no one is left behind.
Aliveness Project is calling on community members and advocates to make their voices heard. We have launched an action alert urging federal and state leaders to protect HIV prevention infrastructure and ensure Minnesota’s community-based organizations remain at the center of this work. Learn more and take action at our action alert
HIV prevention works. Community-based organizations are a critical part of that success. We cannot afford to lose the trusted relationships, expertise, and proven programs that have saved lives.
