Priscilla E. Brantley, RN, SC Primary Health Care Association, and Dr. Bambi Gaddist, chair of SC HIV- AIDS Care Crisis Task Force Hundreds of people gathered in the Drew Wellness Center in Columbia Tuesday, August 18, 2009, to hear from leaders in the fight against HIV/AIDS in our state. Politicians, public health workers, medical doctors, statisticians, pastors, support group leaders, social advocates and men and women infected with the virus spoke to the crowd on subjects such as stigma, the economic impact of HIV/AIDS in SC, challenges in HIV/AIDS prevention, and barriers to medical care.

From each source, the data tells the same story. South Carolina ranks eighth in the nation in the rate of new AIDS cases annually and Columbia ranks ninth in the nation. And South Carolina currently ranks first in the nation in the percentage of cumulative cases of AIDS from heterosexual contact. (Data provided by SC HIV/AIDS Council.)

Christal Davis of the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control reported that in 1992 there were 195 HIV infected persons living in SC. In 2008, there were 14,000 HIV infected persons living in SC. She said "the longer we wait, the worse it gets."

Others shared the same sentiment. Dr. Ken Stock, a Charleston physician, initiated a study of the economic impact of AIDS on our state economy and reported that in 1996 hospital charges were $40 million for 1900 HIV patients and in 2008 hospital charges were $140 million for 2100 HIV patients.

The charge for an average stay in the hospital for an HIV/AIDS patient (7.4 days) is $21,000. He reported that the unemployment rate among HIV infected persons is over 40%. The number of lost work years is on average 31 years lost. He defined the cost of illness index as the prevalence of the disease multiplied by the per- illness cost and said that in 2002 in South Carolina the cost of illness was $6.6 billion.

Rep. Joseph H. Neal, member of the South Carolina House of Representatives stated, "If this state will ever prosper economically, we cannot continue to lose human resources to death (by HIV/AIDS). Stop taking this disease for granted. It is insidiously growing in our communities."

There are several barriers to overcoming this challenge that were identified by the panel speakers such as stigma, lack of education, and the rising risk to our youth. Stigma causes people who may have the disease to avoid being tested for the HIV virus. It was said that people will die of HIV/AIDS and not get the medical treatment they need because of stigma. Lack of education can cause false rumors and myths to spread about the disease and does not prepare our youth to survive in a culture in which the HIV/AIDS virus is present. Aaron Bryant of the SC Department of Education: Youth at Risk program said that "We have not taken the time to educate ourselves so that we can educate the next generation."

Congressman James E. Clyburn closed the meeting with a brief overview of the health care reform bills that are currently in debate in the United States Congress. He also shared that the 2010 Appropriations Bill includes $2.3 billion for the Ryan White Program, which is a $54 million increase from last year. The Ryan White Part C HIV Care Management Program is a federally funded program that helps coordinate comprehensive medical care for people living with HIV. The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act of 2006 is named after a 15- year- old boy who experienced great discrimination because of his HIV status. (Information from the Roper St. Francis Health Care HIV Care Program in Charleston, SC)