Q&A / HELENE GAYLE, president and CEO of CARE USA: HIV/AIDS progress made; more to do

Monday marks the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day, started in 1988 by the World Health Organization and United Nations General Assembly to raise awareness about the global AIDS epidemic.

Although strides have been made in HIV/AIDS research and awareness programs since the 1980s, there’s still much to be done, said Dr. Helene Gayle, president and CEO of Atlanta-based CARE USA. About 33 million people are living with HIV/AIDS worldwide.

Before Gayle joined CARE, a humanitarian organization that fights causes of poverty in 70 countries, in 2006, she was a senior health executive at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. She also spent 20 years at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, including several years as a top AIDS expert.

Late last week, Gayle talked about the significance of World AIDS Day and what Atlantans should know about the disease:

Q: What are some important issues to consider on World AIDS Day?

A: World AIDS Day is a day to remember the enormous toll HIV/AIDS has had here in our country and around the world and commemorate the lives that have been lost in this disease. It is also a time to remember the progress that has been made in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Q: Which communities are hardest hit by the AIDS epidemic?

A: African-Americans make up about 50 percent of new infections. Women are increasingly being impacted by HIV, comprising about 30 percent of new infections [in the U.S.]. Globally, sub-Saharan Africa has been the hardest-hit region of the world.

Q: What do metro Atlantans need to know about AIDS/HIV?

A: HIV continues to be a serious health problem, and we have to do more to raise awareness and help stop the further spread in our community. HIV is a preventable disease, and we know what to do to prevent it. We need to make sure everyone has the knowledge, the skills and the services to reduce sexual and drug-use risks for HIV.

Q: In your 20 years at the CDC, what progress did you see being made in HIV/AIDS prevention?

A: The rate of new infections has declined, and thanks to effective treatment, we have had substantial progress in decreasing illness and death associated with HIV. However, we still have an unacceptably high number of new infections occurring every year in this country —- close to 60,000 new HIV infections every year. Around the world, almost 3 million new infections occur and 2 million people still die [each year]. So we still have more that must be done to halt the spread of HIV and the toll it takes on the world.

Q: What accomplishments has CARE made in the fight against AIDS?

A: CARE has been involved in the response to HIV for many years and has programs in 40 countries. We recognize that poverty and inequity are linked to HIV, and so our programs integrated HIV prevention and treatment with improving people’s economic development.

Q: CARE places special emphasis on working with women. What does your organization do to help?

A: Women make up 50 percent of new HIV infections globally. In sub-Saharan Africa, women make up about 60 percent of people with HIV. Women are at an increased risk of HIV biologically, but also at an increased risk because of gender inequity and lack of control over sexual interactions. Any efforts to reduce the spread of HIV in women have to also focus on empowering women.