The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will award the state Health Department $4.1 million to help prevent and control cancer and HIV/AIDS, U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz announced today.

“The moment someone is diagnosed with cancer or HIV/AIDS, their life changes,” said Schatz, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “This funding will help people manage these diseases as best we can, or prevent them from getting sick in the first place.”

The state Health Department will receive about $1.3 million for its cancer prevention and control programs and $2.9 million to improve the quality and availability of health care for patients with HIV/AIDS.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Hawaii, according to Schatz’s office. Every year, nearly 7,000 Hawaii residents are diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, and more than 2,000 die from the disease. More than 4,000 people are living with HIV in Hawaii.