Date: Fri, 28 Feb 97 09:52:04 EST
From: "communications" <communications@mail.hrcusa.org>
Subject: Decline in AIDS-Related Death Rate 'Encouraging,' HRC Says

     ________________________________________________________
     
     NEWS from the
     Human Rights Campaign
     1101 14th Street NW
     Washington, DC 20005
     email:  hrc@hrcusa.org
     WWW:    http://www.hrcusa.org
     ________________________________________________________
     
     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
     Thursday, Feb. 27, 1997
     
           DECLINE IN AIDS-RELATED DEATH RATE `ENCOURAGING,' HRC SAYS
     
               But Smaller Decrease in African-American Community
                         Reason for Serious Concern
     
     WASHINGTON -- Government statistics showing the first drop in the 
     AIDS-related death rate is welcome news, but is tempered by the fact 
     that the decline among African Americans was much lower than the 
     average, according to the Human Rights Campaign.
     
        "We are encouraged by the decrease in the overall mortality rate 
     but clearly, much more needs to be done in the African-American 
     community," said Winnie Stachelberg, HRC's legislative director.
     
        The statistics, reported in Friday's issue of the Mortality and 
     Morbidity Weekly Report, show a 13 percent decrease in the number of 
     deaths from AIDS-related complications in the first six months of 
     1996. This is the first decline since the AIDS epidemic began in 1981. 
     However, the mortality rate in the African- American community 
     declined only 2 percent, and the mortality rate for women went up 3 
     percent during the same period.
     
        "This demonstrates that more work needs to be done to ensure access 
     to treatment, life-sustaining therapies and targeted prevention 
     efforts," Stachelberg said.
     
        For the last five years, the HIV infection rate has been going 
     down, indicating that prevention efforts are working, she noted. The 
     president's fiscal 1998 budget includes a $17 million increase for 
     prevention, but "that is not enough," according to Stachelberg.
     
        "Now that we are moving in the right direction, this is no time to 
     retreat on AIDS," she added. "This good news also highlights the 
     danger of the president's proposal to impose a per-capita cap on 
     Medicaid recipients, which would threaten access to drugs and 
     insurance for the needy."
     
        The Human Rights Campaign is the largest national lesbian and gay 
     political organization, with members throughout the country. It 
     effectively lobbies Congress, provides campaign support and educates 
     the public to ensure that lesbian and gay Americans can be open, 
     honest and safe at home, at work and in the community.
     
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