August 6, 2009

DC Receives Higher Marks on AIDS “Report Card”

Washington, DC, health officials scored higher in its fifth “report card” issued by the DC Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, showing a marked improvement in fighting HIV/AIDS in the city by bolstering testing, funding needle exchange programs and keeping detailed data on the number of people living with the virus, The Washington Post reports.

According to the article, the government received mainly Bs, Cs and two Ds on its first report card for substance abuse treatment and condom distribution. In the latest report, the District received Bs in those categories, earning high marks for being one of three cities that administer the most HIV tests, for coordinating government groups responding to the epidemic and for bolstering its data-gathering HIV/AIDS Administration.

The government also enhanced the level of leadership, managed grants to groups that help people with the illness and monitored the effectiveness of those programs. Even though DC has improved, Appleseed officials said the city could do more to manage its HIV rate, which remains the highest in the country. The District school system received a C-plus—the lowest grade on the report—for not incorporating a comprehensive HIV/AIDS curriculum.
 
“This is a very solid report that accurately reflects the evolution of the city’s ability to respond to the epidemic,” said DC council member and chairman of the health committee David A. Catania (I–At Large). “I don’t want to suggest that we’re at nirvana in terms of our response. We are not. But…these grades are an enormous turnaround.”

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