Back in February’s State of the Union Address President Donald Trump talked about his plan to end the HIV crisis by 2030. Georgia is at the heart of that epidemic, featuring the highest infection rate in the nation, with more than 32 Georgians per 100,000 having the disease. Four counties in particular – Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett, were named as part of the 48 counties targeted nationwide under Trump’s plan.
Fulton officials quickly jumped on board with the president’s mission, approving $600,000 for HIV awareness and prevention in January, and receiving an additional $1.3 million from the federal government. Fulton County Chairman Robb Pitts announced a resolution mirroring a “90/90/90” United Nations standard of making sure that 90 percent of people know their status, 90 percent of HIV-positive people are on treatment, and 90 percent of those on treatment have successfully controlled the virus.
Six months later and Fulton commissioners are still working to fight HIV, this week announcing the establishment of the new Fulton County Department for HIV Elimination.
The new department will take the lead on fighting HIV in the Atlanta metro, managing federal grants that add up to nearly $30 million annually, as well as bringing together other groups dedicated to the cause including Fulton County’s HIV Task Force and the Metropolitan Atlanta HIV Health Services Planning Council. “Fulton County will continue to take a leadership role in efforts to end new cases of HIV” said Pitts Monday.
By putting together a cohesive and transparent unit to fight the HIV epidemic that has ravaged Fulton and surrounding counties, the new department will act as a conduit for a White House that is very much keyed in on the crisis and willing to spend big to correct it. The organization’s stated goal, echoing Trump’s, is to eliminate all new cases of HIV by 2030.
