Ohio’s largest recipient of HIV/AIDS funding stops all OHIV services ‘until further notice’ after federal grant delay

Equitas Health – Ohio’s largest recipient of federal HIV/AIDS funding – has abruptly halted all services via the OHIV program after experiencing delays in federal grants.

“Until further notice, all OHIV services and programs are stopped,” the group said in a brief statement posted to their official social media accounts. “This includes the Free Condom Project, Free Test-At-Home Kits, the OHIV Hotline, all collaborations and presentations, etc.”

In a separate statement, Equitas Health confirmed it has not received grant money typically awarded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to fund programs under the state’s HIV Prevention Program and the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative – a national plan that aims to reduce new HIV infections by 90% by 2030.

In Ohio, the EHE plan targets areas with the highest number of HIV cases and new infection rates, including Cuyahoga, Franklin and Hamilton counties. Across the state, more than 25,000 people currently living with the virus now face uncertainty around access to care, services and life-saving medications.

“Because the CDC has not yet issued new awards, [the Ohio Department of Health (ODH)] cannot distribute funds to agencies across the state that are performing this important work,” Equitas Health’s statement said. “Columbus Public Health has confirmed that the CDC grants they administer are funded for Equitas Health through June 30. Unless the CDC renews funding, those activities will need to also halt on July 1.”

“The suspension of CDC-funded HIV and STI services statewide raises serious concerns for the communities we serve,” the statement continued. “We are actively working with funders to seek clarification and determine next steps.”

While the federal government has not confirmed the grant delays are indeed cuts, public health officials do not expect the grants to arrive at all.

Public health experts and HIV/AIDS advocates told The Buckeye Flame they believe the delays mark a new phase of the administration’s plan to gut public health programs and services across the country.

In April, a leaked preliminary budget for the 2026 fiscal year outlined more than $40 billion in cuts to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including to Part F of the Ryan White CARE Act – the nation’s federally funded, $2.6 billion HIV/AIDS program – which funds “dental reimbursements, clinical training, and community-driven implementation research.”

The Ryan White CARE Act  is the nation’s largest source of federal funding for HIV/AIDS care and prevention, second only to Medicare and Medicaid. 

Currently more than half of all Americans living with the virus rely on the program to access life-saving antiviral medications and wraparound HIV/AIDS care and prevention services.

Equitas Health also announced it has stopped all services and programming funded via five other HIV Prevention and Ending the HIV Epidemic grant programs, including:

• Ohio Department of Health Statewide Initiatives
• Toledo Lucas County Health Department
• Public Health Dayton Montgomery County STI Prevention
• Summit County Public Health STI Prevention
• Canton City Health Department

Equitas Health did not release further information regarding alternative services or programming for Ohioans living with HIV and AIDS. Additionally, the organization has canceled its annual Transforming Care Conference in order to to “prioritize essential healthcare for people across Ohio.”

The OHIV Hotline – which provided Ohioans with information, resources and services around HIV/AIDS, STIs and sexual health  – is no longer in service. 🔥

Editor’s note: Equitas Health is a current advertiser with The Buckeye Flame.

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Ignite Action

• To find a Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program medical provider in your area, click here.
• To find contact information for your Ohio state representative, click here.
• To find contact information for your Ohio senator, click here.
• If you are a young LGBTQ+ person in crisis, please contact the Trevor Project: 866-4-U-Trevor.
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