Birmingham receives grant to help fight AIDS

Birmingham receives grant to help fight AIDS

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) - An AIDS-fighting charity is providing almost $750,000 to help combat the disease in central Alabama.

AIDS United awarded the grant to a new joint effort between the University of Alabama at Birmingham's 1917 Clinic and Birmingham AIDS Outreach.

The money will fund Birmingham Access to Care, a 3-year program that's the first of its kind in Alabama.

The program will identify people living with HIV or AIDS who are no longer receiving the care they need and try to get them back into the system.

UAB official says Scott Batey says the project is important because people who aren't receiving proper care have higher virus levels that can make them more likely to spread infection to others.

He says the program could help between 600 and 750 people.

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