About the Ryan White Program

On August 18, 1990, Congress enacted the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act— the legislation that created the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program—to improve the quality and availability of HIV care and treatment for low-income people with HIV.

The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009 is the U.S. legislation passed and reauthorized by U.S. Congress that allocates funds for the care and treatment of people living with HIV/AIDS through the Ryan White Program. The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program was named after an Indiana teenager, Ryan White, who publicly advocated for the needs of people living with HIV until his death in 1990.

At the federal level, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) administers the Ryan White Program which is divided into five parts: Part A, B, C, D, and F.  Part A of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009 provides assistance to Eligible Metropolitan Areas (EMAs) and Transitional Grant Areas (TGAs) — locales that are most severely affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The intent of this program is to help meet the health needs of persons living with HIV/AIDS who are unable to pay for services and are most in need.

Each EMA is required to have a planning body charged with developing spending priorities and allocating for Ryan White Part A funds based on the needs of the ever-changing HIV/AIDS epidemic. The Planning Council works in collaboration with the Ryan White Part A Recipient to develop a comprehensive plan to distribute Part A funds only, which provide core medical and support services for people living with HIV/AIDS. 

The Newark EMA

In the Newark EMA, the Mayor of the City of Newark designated the Ryan White Unit of the Newark Department of Health and Community Wellness to administer Part A funds for the Newark EMA which includes the counties of Essex, Union, Morris, Sussex and Warren.

Last Updated on: 7/30/21