We, the undersigned, call on the White House, the Office of National AIDS Policy, and the Department of Health and Human Services to convene a "State of the South Task Force" to:
1. Recommend National HIV/AIDS Strategy implementation steps directed at the Southeast;
2. Identify collaborative opportunities across federal agencies to address the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Southeast;
3. Identify funding opportunities for projects aimed at evaluating best HIV prevention and care practices for the Southern U.S.
We urge the White House to convene a "State of the South Task Force" and announce the Task Force members at the International AIDS Conference in July 2012.
Why is this important?
More people are living with and dying from HIV in the South than in any other region of the Country. We need urgent action to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Southeast.
