When public health funding is cut, real people pay the price.

The Trump administration is planning to slash at least $29 million in Illinois public health grants in an initial wave of $600 million in nationwide cuts. Among them: $5.2 million for HIV prevention at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital, along with funding for the Illinois Department of Public Health, the Chicago Department of Public Health, and trusted community organizations that provide HIV testing, prevention, and surveillance.

At a time when the Chicago area has reportedly seen an increase in new HIV diagnoses and more people being diagnosed at advanced stages of the disease, this is not the moment to pull back. HIV prevention programs support testing, education, outreach, and early treatment — the very tools that help reduce transmission, save lives, and lower long-term healthcare costs.

Public health infrastructure protects everyone: families, children, veterans, faith communities, and small businesses. Strong prevention efforts reduce strain on hospitals and ensure taxpayer dollars are used wisely by preventing more expensive health crises down the road.

We call on U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary and relevant federal officials to reverse these proposed cuts to Illinois HIV prevention and public health grants. We also urge members of Congress representing Illinois — Democrats and Republicans alike — to publicly oppose these reductions and fight to restore this funding.

Illinois taxpayers contribute to the federal system with the expectation that essential health services will be supported, not withdrawn without clear justification. Cutting prevention funding risks undermining years of progress in reducing HIV transmission and strengthening public health systems.

Public health should never be treated as a political bargaining chip. Protect Illinois communities. Restore HIV prevention funding now.