CDC Rumored To Announce 50% Inrease In Annual HIV Infections

Bloggernista is covering a Washington Blade story that is breaking the news that the number of annual HIV infections is apparently increasing dramatically, despite the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's announced goal to reduce annual HIV infections by 50 percent in 5 years. The number of approximately 40, 000 new HIV infections per year is still currently on the CDC's HIV/AIDS statistics website and has been a longtime staple of HIV prevention advocacy.

Now insiders are saying that estimate may be revised upwards by nearly 50 percent to between 58,000 to 63,000 new HIV cases per year.

In preparation for World AIDS Day (December 1) in about two weeks, the CDC has scheduled a webcast at 11am PST (2pm PST) at which a number of senior administration officials responsible for HIV/AIDS policy in the United States are scheduled to appear:

Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH
Dr. Deborah Parham Hopson, Associate Administrator for HIV/AIDS, HRSA
Dr. Kevin Fenton, Director of the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, CDC
Ms. Beverly Watts Davis, Senior Advisor on Substance Abuse, Office of the Administrator, SAMHSA
Christopher H. Bates, Acting Director of the Office of HIV/AIDS Policy, will moderate the webcast

If you miss the webcast, an archive and transcript will be available at www.AIDS.gov.