Press Conference, Rally Planned to Address Georgia's AIDS Drug Waiting List

Georgia's AIDS Drug Assistance Program instituted a waiting list for new clients on July 1. As of Nov. 11, the list included 672 residents, according to the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors. Georgia's ADAP waiting list is second only to Florida's, with 2,043 individuals.

A rally in Atlanta on World AIDS Day, Dec. 1, is planned to spotlight the growing number of HIV-positive Georgians who have been wait-listed for help accessing lifesaving drugs.

ADAP serves about 5,500 Georgians, according to AIDS activists, providing assistance to low- and moderate-income persons without insurance or Medicaid coverage for some 60 HIV-related medications.

Georgia's ADAP maintained a waiting list from 1997 to 2002; at its peak, it included 1,600 patients.

"It shocks me we do have a list again, and how fast the numbers have grown, and there is not the same sense of urgency," said Jeff Graham, executive director of Georgia Equality and a longtime AIDS activist. "I really had hoped to not see another waiting list."

At the rally, activists plan to deliver to governor-elect Nathan Deal postcards asking for sufficient funding to eliminate the ADAP waiting list. A press conference is scheduled for 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. inside the north wing of the Capitol.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.


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