S.C. HIV TASK FORCE RELEASE

South Carolina HIV/AIDS Care Crisis Task Force P.O. Box 2531 For Immediate Release: Contact: Dr. Bambi W. Gaddist, SC HIV/AIDS Care Crisis Task Force Liaison (803) 254-6644 Feb. 15, 2007 (Columbia – SC) – The South Carolina HIV/AIDS Care Crisis Task Force will hold a press conference at 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, February 20 in the first floor Rotunda at the S.C. State House in the area between the Governor and Lieutenant Governor’s offices. The press conference will feature representatives from all of the AIDS service providers in the state, HIV/AIDS advocates, clients and members of the General Assembly who are concerned with the present state of HIV/AIDS care in our state. The Task Force’s goals are to reduce the economic cost of HIV to the state of South Carolina and to ensure early access to HIV care and treatment for all persons with HIV disease in South Carolina. The program will feature speakers who will address the current status of the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP); the economic impact of HIV/AIDS in South Carolina; how HIV/AIDS prevention and care services can save the state money; and a personal testimony for someone who has been impacted by the AIDS Drug Assistance (ADAP) program. Our Key Messages: We want $8 million for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) and HIV care services because HIV is costing S.C. billions and affects hospitals and people all over our state. Investing in ADAP and HIV care will:  Save money - for Medicaid, hospitals, HIV care system, patients and families.  Help get people back to work - and off of public assistance programs, Medicaid.  Help prevent new infections - treatment lowers amount of virus.  Lengthen and improve lives - more years of earning potential.  Garner more federal funds – if South Carolina receives more Ryan White funds, we’ll need more state funds to meet the 50 percent state match requirement. The eight million dollars will ensure 100% access to HIV care and medications and is cost-saving because it keeps people out of the hospital. Early treatment and care will save S.C. millions in the total cost of HIV illness. Members of the state’s media outlet are encouraged to have someone from your newspaper, bureau, and television or radio station present. For more information, please contact Dr. Bambi W. Gaddist at (803) 254-6644. South Carolina HIV/AIDS Care Crisis Task Force Press Conference Agenda 1:30 p.m. – 2:15 pm Welcome and History of SC HIV/AIDS Care Crisis Task Force Dr. Bambi W. Gaddist State Liaison SC HIV/AIDS Care Crisis Task Force Statement of the Problem “What is the AIDS Drug Assistance Program and HIV/AIDS Care Services? Lynda Kettinger, Director STD/HIV Division South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control HIV/AIDS Prevention, Treatment, and Care Representative Joseph H. Neal “Saving Taxpayer Dollars and Lives” The Cost of HIV/AIDS in South Carolina Kent Stock, MD Low Country Infectious Disease Charleston, South Carolina “The Economic Impact of HIV/AIDS in South Carolina” “How ADAP Has Helped Me” Personal Testimonies From Persons Living With HIV/AIDS Deadra Lawson-Smith The 8 Million Dollars in 2008 Campaign Reading of the Resolution Mark A. O’Rourke, MD Cancer Centers of the Carolinas Greenville, South Carolina