AHF: CDC Makes It Official--HIV Infections Up 48% Nationwide

AHF Calls Numbers a National Catastrophe; Notes Lifetime Costs of
Treatment Will Approach $36 Billion
LOS ANGELES--(Business Wire)--
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) (www.aidshealth.org) will host a
press teleconference Friday March 28th at 11:00 AM Eastern Daylight
Time to respond to the release of a long-awaited report by the Centers
for Disease Control (CDC) showing its latest data on HIV rates and
incidence in the US. The CDC HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report,
www.cdc.gov/hiv/ (see "What's New?" section - second bullet),
that was quietly released earlier this week, shows a "catastrophic"
48% increase in US HIV infections between the years 2005 and 2006. The
number of infections jumped to 52,878 new reported cases in 2006 up
from 35,537 reported in 2005. With the lifetime costs of one
HIV-infected individual's treatment and care estimated to be $600,000,
these new CDC surveillance numbers suggest a $36 billion aggregate
cost for caring for these nearly 53,000 individuals.

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WHAT: Press Teleconference--
Reaction to CDC's Release of Data Showing 48% Increase in US
HIV Infections from 2005 to 2006
CDC's Release of New HIV Infection Rates Show 48% Increase
to 52,878 New Reported Cases Annually in 2006 up from 35,537
in 2005

WHEN: Friday, March 28th
NEW YORK: 11:00 AM EDT (1100)
LOS ANGELES: 8:00 AM PDT (0800)

WHO: Michael Weinstein, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF)
President
Whitney Engeran, III, Director, Public Health Division, AIDS
Healthcare Foundation

HOW: dial in information
Domestic: +1.877.411.9748 participant code #7931503
International: +1.636.651.3128 participant code #7931503
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"Catastrophe," said Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS
Healthcare Foundation. "There is no other word to describe these CDC
numbers which underscore the wholesale failure of US HIV prevention
efforts. We'd called on the CDC as far back as November to release the
numbers--which they had in their possession at that time--so that
Congress could consider the statistics as they finalized the budget
and reapportioned and reprioritized money for HIV/AIDS services based
on need. The CDC stonewalled, stating that they were awaiting
publication of a peer-reviewed journal article on the data, something
that appears to not have happened after all. These new HIV numbers and
the CDC's laissez faire attitude do not bode well for the nation's
ability to address its own growing epidemic."

"We now face $36 billion in costs associated with lifetime care
and treatment of all these infected individuals," said Whitney
Engeran, III, Director, Public Health Division, and AIDS Healthcare
Foundation. "No matter how the CDC tries to spin these numbers, the
fact remains that the numbers they've been reporting for years have
been inaccurate, and have incorrectly portrayed the US epidemic as
static at roughly 40,000 new infections per year. We missed a crucial
opportunity to work with Congress to adjust the budget to better
reflect the needs of the populations affected because of the CDC's
delay in reporting these numbers."

In a community letter dated November 26, 2007 and sent to the
National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) and
others, the CDC revealed its plan to release the 2005 HIV incidence
estimates "in the coming months." The letter further stated that the
new numbers will be the first since the agency implemented a new
system of data collection and analysis that they say will "provide
more accurate and timely HIV incidence estimates."

The CDC letter was likely a response to the widespread speculation
among stakeholders that the latest incidence numbers would reveal an
astronomical rise in the estimate of new cases--which has turned out
to be true. In the letter, the CDC stated that the goal was to release
the data "as soon as possible." The CDC letter went on to say that,
although the new incidence figures currently existed in manuscript
form, the agency was submitting it to "an academic journal for peer
review to ensure that the methods, emerging data, and conclusions are
carefully reviewed for scientific accuracy and rigor before they are
published. The manuscript is currently under review and decisions
about publication are forthcoming."

"We hope that this is not yet another instance of the Bush
Administration's suppression of information that could be damaging to
their image, especially in light of the fact that the spike in new
infections is, at least in part, likely due to failed policies of the
administration, including the promotion of 'abstinence-only'
prevention messages and the failure to promote condom use," added
AHF's Weinstein.

About AHF

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is the US' largest HIV/AIDS
organization. AHF currently provides treatment, care and support
services to more than 65,000 individuals in 20 countries worldwide in
the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean and Asia. Additional
information is available at www.aidshealth.org.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (LA)
Ged Kenslea, AHF Communications Director
Telephone: 323-860-5225
Mobile: 323-791-5526
gedk@aidshealth.org
or
Lori Yeghiayan, AHF Associate Communications Director
Telephone: 323-860-5227
Mobile: 323-377-4312
lori.yeghiayan@aidshealth.org

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