Johnson Advocates for PrEP Affordability
City Council Speaker Corey Johnson (D-Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen) was at a press conference yesterday urging the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to terminate a patent on PrEP and allow a generic form of the medication to be marketed.
PrEP, also known as Truvada, is a drug that dramatically reduces the chance of HIV infection. As of now, the medication is patented by Gilead Sciences, which has capitalized on its patent by making it exponentially more expensive, thus making it far less accessible to middle and working-class customers.
Johnson, an HIV-positive lawmaker, said that he has a moral obligation to make this drug available to the public at large.
“The cost of PrEP in our country reveals something deeply rotten about our health care system, and the NIH needs to march in and break the patent immediately,” said Johnson. “This is life or death and there is no time to waste.”
Rodriguez Honors Media Host Rafel Corporán de los Santos at Street Co-Naming Ceremony
Yesterday, City Councilmember Ydanis Rodriguez (D-Washington Heights, Inwood) attended the christening of Rafel Corporán de los Santos Way, a street co-named in honor of the beloved media host.
The Dominican-born Santos hosted the program “Sábado de Corporán” for 25 uninterrupted years, cultivating a dedicated fanbase in the process. Santos used his power to help the less fortunate, in the form of product giveaways and cash prizes
“I’m proud to hold this Street-Co Naming in Washington Heights today to share the significant contributions of Rafael Corporán de los Santos to the Dominican community,” said Rodriguez. “He was a generous philanthropist, compassionate leader and beloved tv host who always had a positive message of empowering the poor on his long-running radio and television shows. He was a man of integrity who dedicated his life to helping the poor and less fortunate. He discriminated against no one and was a proponent of treating everyone with love and respect.”
Chin to Hold Hearing on Senior Center Food Budget
City Councilwoman Margaret Chin (D-Battery Park City, Chinatown) will be holding a hearing next week on food budgeting for senior centers.
Chin, who is also the Chair of the Committee on Aging, will be joined by a bevy of advocates and kitchen staff workers as they call for more City funding for senior centers, as a means of increasing our seniors’ access to adequate food and supporting a living wage for senior kitchen staff.
The hearing is slated for Wednesday, Feb. 27 at 10 a.m. at 250 Broadway.
