Via the Shreveport Times, an op-ed: Malone: News grim for La. and HIV/AIDS. Excerpt:
This legislative session will bring with it tough decisions that are to be made regarding how state tax dollars are allocated. There are many competing interests to be considered.
The HIV/AIDS community is (unfortunately) growing exponentially in Louisiana. Just recently, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its HIV/AIDS surveillance report for 2010. The news was very grim where our state is concerned. There are two main points that we can glean from their report:
Louisiana now has the second highest HIV infection rate per capita in the U.S.
Baton Rouge is now ranked No. 1 in the nation for AIDS diagnosis per capita of all U.S. metropolitan areas — New Orleans is No. 5.
In 2011 (according to Louisiana's Office of Public Health), there were a total of 32,113 HIV/AIDS cases reported for Louisiana (cumulative), with at least 18,602 people living with HIV/AIDS in our state. Conservative estimates are that there are at least 20 percent to 40 percent more people who are currently infected with HIV, but do not yet know it.
In short, our state is now the epicenter for the HIV/AIDS crisis in America "» and all eyes are watching to see how we deal with it as a state.
Over the past five years, HIV prevention funding has shifted in Louisiana to where there are now zero state tax dollars allocated for the reduction of the transmission of this virus. Zero dollars being spent in Louisiana that are not federal pass-through funds. I believe strongly that these reductions in HIV prevention in Louisiana are directly related to the gross increase in the HIV infection rate in our state.
People are getting sick and are dying at an alarming rate. In northwest Louisiana alone, 33 percent of all new HIV infections last year were with children and young adults (ages 13 to 24). We are witnessing the emergence of the "next generation" in the AIDS epidemic — and Louisiana is leading the way (albeit, in the wrong direction).
