AEGiS-UPI: 60 Percent decline in Calif. AIDS deaths

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1998. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

60 Percent decline in Calif. AIDS deaths

United Press International; Friday June 26 4:56 PM EDT

SACRAMENTO, June 26 (UPI) - California health officials report a 60 percent decline in AIDS deaths in the first six months of 1997 compared with the first half of the previous year.

The Department of Health Services said today whites still account for the largest percentage of AIDS cases, although rates for blacks and Hispanics are increasing.

Health Director Kim Belshe ("bell-SHAY"') credited the overall decline with increased financing of the AIDS Drug Assistance Program, which provides drugs to HIV and AIDS patients who can't afford them. She says 53 drugs are now available through the program.

Belshe says the state budgeted approximately $253 million for all HIV/AIDS programs in the fiscal year that ends June 30 _ that's a 26 percent increase over the previous year.

Gov. Pete Wilson has proposed $126 million more for the drug program, up almost $36 million from the current fiscal year.

The AIDS report says California accounts for about 17 percent of all reported cases in the United States, and 94,300 to 130,500 Californians are living with the disease.

The report says most people seeking publicly financed HIV tests were heterosexuals.

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