AIDS TREATMENT NEWS #136, October 11, 1991
John S. James
"The people of the United States have arrived at a crossroads in the history of the HIV epidemic. In the months to come they must either engage seriously the issues and needs posed by this deadly disease or face relentless, expanding tragedy in the decades ahead...
"Workers on the front lines are struggling heroically to cope with illness and death, but their tools have been too few, their resources too constrained, and their logistics too crippled by the sabotage of disbelief, prejudice, ignorance, and fear...
"Worst of all, the country has responded with indifference. It is as if the HIV crisis were a televised portrayal of someone else's troubles. It has even appeared relatively painless; many of the torments are hidden because so many people do their suffering and grieving in secret, out of fear of stigma, discrimination, or rejection. But the epidemic will not remain painless much longer even for the most indifferent observer; soon everyone will know someone who has died of AIDS. If we are to honor our fundamental social contract with our fellow citizens, with ourselves, and with our children, we must somehow develop a sense of urgency..."
(As if to illustrate the nation's problem in engaging seriously with the epidemic, the next day The Washington Post, under the headline "Lack of Leadership on AIDS Cited," covered the report's release by running a wire-service dispatch. On the same day, in the Style section, the Post published a 1900-word original article titled, "Kimberly Bergalis's Ride of Rage: The AIDS Victim, Frail but Resolute, Comes to Congress to Plead for Mandatory Testing.")
The Commission's report includes 30 recommendations, in the areas of prevention and education, caring for people with HIV, health-care financing, clinical trials and treatment-related research, and government responsibilities. Each chapter includes quotes for persons who have testified in hearings of the Commission, as well as a selected bibliography.
The National Commission on AIDS was formed two years ago to advise Congress and the President. Its 15 members include five appointed by the Senate, five by the House, two by President Bush, and the secretaries of Health and Human Services, Defense, and Veterans Affairs.
For a complimentary copy of the report, call the National Commission on AIDS, 202/254-5125. To purchase multiple copies, call the National AIDS Clearinghouse, 800/458-5231. The report is also available from the U. S. Government Printing Office.
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