Head of CDC's HIV/AIDS Prevention Resigns

Dr. Robert Janssen, the head of the CDC's Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention has resigned.

The following excerpts of his resdignatuion message to his division ave become public:

" The division lies at the intersection of sex and drugs in a country
that doesn't have a clue how to deal with them. So you have become
comfortable walking around with a target on your back. You all should be
very proud of the work you do under the conditions you do it."

"I am sorry to report that over the last 5 years, we have had less and
less money available for new projects each year. We have had to cut some
ongoing projects. We can't do everything even if everything is a high
priority. At this point, we only do high priority work and when we cut,
we cut the lowest of the high priorities."

"Challenge assumptions. New opportunities are likely to be coming with a
new administration. Be ready! I want you to think carefully about needle
exchange. While it might seem right to overturn the ban on the use of
federal dollars, the ban has forced local jurisdictions to put their
dollars into HIV prevention. If the ban is lifted, I am concerned that
the local dollars will dry up. Then, which federal dollars will be
shifted to replace the loss of those local dollars?"

"One of the things I have learned over my many years at CDC is that
Leadership matters. And CDC has not always been blessed with great
leadership. Great leadership is imperceptible. You don't even know that
it is there. But bad leadership is always evident. You trip all over it.
Things don't work, nothing gets done or what gets done is ineffective.
Expect excellent leadership; demand it."

"I want to finish up by saying that I am concerned that the scale of
what you are doing is inadequate to make the impact on the epidemic that
you must make. It is a huge challenge to guide programs to hit an 80%
target when they are only funded at 20%. While the testing
recommendations and the community mobilization among African Americans
can help reduce stigma, HIV prevention programs and addressing issues
such as housing, poverty, substance abuse, racism, homophobia, and child
abuse will take much, much more. In 2002, in my CPLS address, I pointed
out that AIDS advocates had shifted their focus from the United States
to Africa and they succeeded in garnering real money for Africa. With
the new PEPFAR reauthorization being considered this month at $30 to $50
billion, I am concerned that America has forgotten her own. Here at
home, resources do not meet the need."