WASHINGTON — Federal health officials charged with monitoring AIDS funding across the nation spent more time visiting programs in tropical islands than in cities like New York and San Francisco, a new report reveals.
The officials tasked with administering Ryan White Care Act funds to fight AIDS/HIV took 12 trips to Puerto Rico — plus another six to the tranquil US Virgin Islands over a period of just four years, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office.
During that same time frame, they took just a single trip to New York City — even though the Big Apple gets $121 million in AIDS funds and has 105,000 inhabitants living with the disease.
By contrast, Puerto Rico gets $2 million in AIDS funds with an infected population of 2,000, while the Virgin Islands gets $1 million and has just 568 cases.
“It is troubling a few tropical locations with little grant funding saw far more visits than less exotic locations that received significant funding,” fumed Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), who requested the report.