Lack of urgency seen in Atlanta AIDS efforts

By Craig Schneider

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy said Tuesday that after visiting several Atlanta AIDS centers, he came away with a troubling message.

“There is concern in Atlanta about the commitment of elected officials” to fight HIV/AIDS, said Jeffrey Crowley. “People say there’s not the urgency there should be.”

Crowley made the comments during an interview with a reporter prior to speaking at the first in about a dozen HIV/AIDS Community Discussions, sponsored by the Obama administration.

The Atlanta discussion drew several hundred people as it coincided with the National HIV Prevention Conference, also in Atlanta.

The community meetings are aimed at helping the White House craft a new national HIV/AIDS policy.

“Atlanta is a major epicenter in the HIV crisis in the U.S.,” Crowley said. “We want to engage the American people broadly.”