Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Obama to Announce New HIV/AIDS Strategy

   VOA News 13 July 2010
   President Barack Obama (file)

Photo: White House - P. Souza

   President Barack Obama (file)

   U.S.  President  Barack Obama is scheduled to announce later Tuesday a
   new  national strategy designed to combat the spread of HIV, the virus
   that causes AIDS.
   A  government  report released in advance of the announcement says the
   strategy  aims  to reduce the rate of new HIV infections in the United
   States  by  25 percent over the next five years.  It also will try to
   make sure patients infected with HIV get treatment more quickly. Â
   Currently,  only  65  percent  of  Americans  infected  with  HIV  get
   treatment within three months of being diagnosed with the virus.  The
   new  strategy wants to increase that to 85 percent.  Additonally, the
   new  strategy  is  expected  to focus on what are considered high-risk
   populations - gay and bisexual men and African-Americans.
   More  than  1.1  million  Americans are living with HIV, and more than
   56,000 people in the U.S. become infected each year.  Government data
   show,  however,  that  about  one out of every five Americans infected
   with HIV does not know it.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.

.