Petrelis Files

SF AIDS Cases Drop in 3Q Report, CDC to Release New HIV Stats

The latest AIDS surveillance report from the San Francisco Department of Public Health revealing full-blown cases for the third-quarter of 2005 fell slightly from last year, has been released and posted on the web. How do the latest third-quarter AIDS diagnoses compare with previous years? Favorably, because the number of new AIDS cases continues to fall. Here are third-quarter stats over the past seven years:

SF quarterly AIDS surveillance reports
January through September
Table 5

1999
324

2000
316

2001
302

2002
224

2003
188

2004
190

2005
181

As with so many positive developments regarding controlling HIV and AIDS in San Francisco, the health department and AIDS organizations are silent about the new AIDS stats. Falling numbers make it so much harder for the city to shake its begging bowl when asking the federal government for increases in funding for care and treatment. On the other hand, San Francisco still doesn't know how to use the declining HIV and AIDS rates to lobby for more federal funds for prevention programs. Success is not something AIDS experts here like to talk about.

Also, a good friend sent me this alert from the CDC. I hope to participate in the telephone press conference and look forward to scrutinizing new HIV stats from the CDC.

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Contact: NCHSTP Office of Communications, (404) 639-8895

MEDIA ADVISORY - TELEPHONE PRESS BRIEFING

CDC to Announce New HIV Data for 33 U.S. States - Findings Provide
More Representative Picture of Magnitude of U.S. Epidemic

WHAT:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will hold a
telephone press briefing to announce new HIV surveillance data. Data
will be presented on HIV diagnoses from 2001 to 2004 in the 33 states
that have conducted confidential, name-based HIV case reporting for
at least four years. For the first time, the analysis will include
data from New York State, which accounted for approximately one-fifth
of all new diagnoses reported during the study period. The inclusion
of the large number of cases from New York State will provide a more
representative sample of U.S. diagnoses than prior analyses.

CDC officials will discuss the latest trends in diagnoses overall, as
well as the continued impact of HIV among African Americans and men
who have sex with men.


WHEN:
Thursday, November 17 at 12:00 PM (Noon) Eastern Standard Time (EST)

WHO:
Ronald O. Valdiserri, MD, MPH, Acting Director of CDC's National
Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention
Lisa M. Lee, PhD, senior epidemiologist in CDC's Division of HIV/AIDS
Prevention

EMBARGO:
These data are embargoed until Thursday, November 17 at 12:00 PM (Noon) EST

REGISTER:
To register for the briefing and receive the toll-free dial-in
number, please call (212) 584-5007

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