Chicago, Illinois — The Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago (PHIMC) has awarded $1.3 million in HIV/AIDS prevention funding to 13 agencies to provide services in suburban Cook County.
This funding is made possible by the Regional HIV Prevention grant awarded to PHIMC by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) in January 2012. The initiative supports HIV prevention service delivery to the highest risk populations in suburban Cook County and addresses priorities as established by the Illinois HIV Prevention Community Planning Group in accordance with the State and National HIV/AIDS Prevention Strategies.
The activities supported by this project are considered "gaps" in care — services not currently sponsored by other HIV prevention funding.
Grantees are based in and around the Suburban Cook County area, and have demonstrated ability to serve the community. Providers are: Asian Human Services, Aunt Martha's Youth Services, Cook County Department of Public Health, Chicago Recovery Alliance, CorazÃ"n, Howard Brown Health Center, Heartland Health and Human Services, PCC Wellness, Proactive Community Services, Renz Prevention Services, Sisters and Brothers Helping Each Other, South Suburban HIV/AIDS Regional Clinics (SSHARC), and VIDA/SIDA.
Grantees are receiving funding to conduct comprehensive prevention activities both at agencies and in the field. Services include: HIV counseling and rapid HIV Testing, educational and support interventions for individuals and groups, hepatitis screening and vaccination, and critical linkages to medical care for individuals newly diagnosed with HIV.
"In spite of the perception that HIV is going away, new infections occur every day. Misinformation and lack of resources continue to contribute to the spread of HIV." said Patrick Lenihan, Executive Director of the Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago. "We are pleased to support the efforts of these providers to do quality HIV prevention work in the community."
HIV in Cook County
The HIV/AIDS Report 2006-2008 published by the Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) revealed that at the end of 2008, there were 3,474 Cook County residents living with HIV at any stage. The number of persons living with HIV doubled between 2000 and 2008. Two in three persons living with HIV or AIDS lived in the South District or the West District. Seventy seven percent (77%) of all cases diagnosed in suburban Cook County were males and 85% of new HIV cases diagnosed were among men who have sex with men (MSM). Among females, the majority (nearly 80%) of new HIV cases diagnosed were a result of heterosexual contact. More than half of all new HIV diagnoses annually between 2000 and 2008 were in non-Hispanic Blacks.
About PHIMC
The Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago (PHIMC) is a nonprofit organization that works in collaboration with public health agencies and non-governmental organizations to enhance the health of communities in the greater Chicago Metropolitan area by building effective public health capacity. PHIMC is committed to dynamic support of organizations dedicated to solving public health challenges.
As the lead agency for this project, PHIMC selected service providers to be funded, ensures delivery of HIV prevention services that have been proven effective in stemming the spread of HIV, monitors contracts and provides fiscal oversight, supports successful implementation of programs by providing needed training and technical assistance to the regional providers, and gathers, analyzes and presents relevant information to stakeholders to inform the service priorities for the region.
