j u s t o u t T J a n u a ry 6 , 1 0 0 9 ▼ 0
Winterize it. It’s Escentiai.
H IV/A ID S effort
revam ped
Centers fo r Disease Control addresses criticism by
centralizing H IV programs
E^CENTIAL
by Richard Shumate
7l() NYV 23KI> AVE. * 248-9748
3688 SE HAWTHORNE * 236-7976
lotions & oils
eeding criticism that its fight against
HIV/AIDS was disjointed and didn’t
focus enough on prevention, the
federal Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention is revamping its
entire HIV program.
The decision to bring 10 separate HIV pro
grams together into a single agency under one
leader was made by Dr. David Satcher, who took
over as head of the CDC last year.
“The overall goal of our HIV/AIDS reorgani
zation efforts is to significantly enhance our abil
ity to prevent and con
trol the spread of HIV/
r,
,
a id s among individu-
ganization will do little to reorganize or centralize
research into treatments or a cure for HIV/AIDS,
which are centered not at the CDC but at the
National Institutes of Health, a separate agency.
“But [the CDC’s reorganization] is a proposal
I feel has great potential,” says Jeff Graham of
ACT UP-Atlanta. “The status quo is not doing
anyone any good.”
In addition to a change in structure, Satcher’s
proposal also marks something of a change in
philosophy at the CDC.
Programs designed to prevent HIV transmis
sion have, in the past, been
.
, ^
lumped in with prevention
programs for other sexu
ally transmitted diseases as
ais and groups in this
country and to contrib-
.
part of the National Center
ute to the prevention
for Infectious Diseases.
Under the reorganization,
and control ot H i v /
-n
AIDS throughout the
HIV prevention efforts will
world,” said Satcher in
Other Sexually transmitted be separated from those of
a memo to the CDC
other STDs.
sta ff o u tlin in g the
A panel tjiat advises the
changes.
CDC on its HIV preven
C u rren tly , seg
tion efforts recommended
ments of the CDC’s
that change because of the
program to track and
fundamental differences
check the spread of
between HIV and other
HIV
are
spread
sexually transmitted dis
throughout the various
eases.
entities that make up
HI V-prevention efforts
the CDC. Most are at
will also now be located in
CDC headquarters in
the same center as pro
Atlanta, but some are
grams to prevent tubercu
at other locations. Their efforts are coordinated,
losis, a recognition of the emergence of TB as a
but not directed, by Dr. Jim Curran, head of the
particular threat to people living with HIV/AIDS.
CDC’s Office of HIV/AIDS.
Groups inside and outside the CDC have long
When the reorganization is complete, in Feb
been critical of the disjointed organizational struc
ruary 1995,80 percent of the CDC’s overall HIV/
ture and the lack of a central clearinghouse for
AIDS programs will be in one Atlanta-based
information. Last June, the CDC advisory com
center, w hich is likely to be given a new name and
mittee for HIV prevention recommended that all
placed under the direct authority of a single direc
prevention programs be centralized, leading to
tor, according to CDC spokesman Tom Skinner.
Satcher’s decision.
A decision has not yet been made on who will
“We have been studying this for over a year,”
head up the new center, he says.
Skinner says. “We hope this will improve our
While the change has gotten generally good
ability to work with those who are on the front
reviews from HIV/AIDS groups, they caution
lines of the fight against HIV/AIDS. Over the past
that this does not amount to a “Manhattan Project”
17 years, we’ve learned that HIV/AIDS directly
to fight AIDS— a campaign promise of President
has an effect on other health programs.”
Clinton that has gone unfulfilled. The CDC reor-
H
REPORT HOMOPHORIC VIOLENCE
HAGGLE W ITH
THE DEALERS!
OUR BIGGEST SALE EVER!
Come
get great
savings as
our 175 dealers
clean house
for the
N ew Year.
Saturday, January 14,11:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sunday, January 15, Noon - 5:00 pm
ST
PIN KLIN K
IS
N ON LIN E!
Call 241-9769 (Portland)
7
P • A • N • Y
TWO A N T I Q U E MA L L S
7027 SE Milwaukie Avenue, Portland, Oregon
( 503 ) 239-0346
__
Programs designed to
prevent HIV transmission
nave, in the past, been lumped
prevention programs
for
diseases as part of the
National Center for
Infectious Diseases.
Under the reorganization,
HIV prevention efforts will be
separated from those of
other STDs.
Resource Line • Events Calendar • Personal Ads
s • *.•
\
/
r . r
r
e A
» c ï \ T jt i r r,
a
> i , t ,r r.\; "
•
• I