Community Leaders, Public Health Officials Attend African American AIDS Conference In D.C

A host of policy makers, public health officials and civic leaders recently converged on the nation's capital to address the growing impact of AIDS on the Black community at this year's National Conference on African Americans and AIDS.

The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr., president and founder of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, addressed the gathering of more than 1,000, urging leaders to unite to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS among Blacks.

"Despite consistent efforts to draw attention to this issue, the HIV/AIDS epidemic continues to increase in the African-American population at disproportionate rates," he said.

Blacks make up 13 percent of the U.S. population, but account for 57 percent of all new HIV infections detected and nearly half of all cases of full-blown AIDS, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The conference, which was sponsored by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, also featured remarks by major public health figures, including U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala.

Citing the obstacles facing many AIDS victims: high cost of treatment, access to care, and difficult pill regimen, Shalala pledged that the Clinton administration's AIDS strategy would continue to be guided by three principles: "First, put the money in communities. Second, prevent the spread of AIDS. And third, eliminate the barriers to care," she said.