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Washington, DC -- AIDS Action today hailed the release of a U.S. General Accounting Office study confirming the effectiveness and efficiency of the Ryan White CARE Act in serving Americans with HIV and AIDS.

"We couldn't have said it better ourselves," said Claudia French, Acting Executive Director at AIDS Action. "Indeed, as the report states, CARE Act funds are reaching the people who are hardest hit by the epidemic, including people of color, women, and the poor."

The report concluded "African-Americans, Hispanics, and women are served by the CARE Act in higher proportions than their representation in the AIDS population." (GAO, page 4.)

"We're grateful for a study that proves what our community already knew. The Ryan White CARE Act is an efficient, effective, and powerful means of getting funds to the thousands of community-based organizations on the front lines of the battle against HIV/AIDS," French said.

The report also concluded that administrators of organizations that received federal HIV/AIDS funds were compensated at a level comparable to those at similar nonprofit organizations.

AIDS Action will work to reauthorize the CARE Act this year so that all Americans living with HIV/AIDS have access to care in their communities.

"We look forward to working with Congressman Coburn and others in Congress to make sure Ryan White CARE Act funds continue to help all people who are affected by HIV/AIDS, and to adequately fund CDC prevention efforts to slow the spread of the disease," French said. "This study demonstrates how vital the Ryan White CARE Act is, and emphasizes the need to reauthorize it this year."