A June 19 congressional roundtable was held to raise awareness about high HIV prevalence rates in the American South, where roughly half of all new U.S. AIDS cases are currently being diagnosed, USAToday reports. The session was convened by AIDS United and hosted by U.S. Senators Jeff Sessions (R–Ala.) and Kay Hagan (D–N.C.). It addressed the shortage of HIV specialists in the South, which has made it especially difficult to provide access to treatment for people with HIV who live in small cities and rural areas. While there are about 411 HIV experts in California and 275 in New York State, there are only 243 HIV experts in the nine Southeast states, according to the American Academy of HIV Medicine.

To read the USAToday article, click here.