JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — State health officials say despite past efforts to curb the rate of HIV infection, the number of people testing positive in Mississippi has hovered around 600 each year for more than a decade.
“We do have a higher rate than the rest of the country as a whole. That is something we are really moving forward and trying to work on,” said state health officer Dr. Mary Currier.
The Clarion-Ledger reports more than 9,500 Mississippians are HIV-positive. African Americans are disproportionately affected, making up more than 75 percent of new cases.
Megan McLemore, senior health researcher at Human Rights Watch, said one of the more discouraging facts the international advocacy group noted in a report released this year is that roughly half the people in Mississippi who have tested positive are not receiving treatment. She said the rate is comparable to Botswana, Ethiopia and Rwanda.
“It doesn’t even cover the people who haven’t been tested,” she said.
McLemore said the state should focus on making sure that those with HIV have steady health care so they don’t seek treatment only when they are very sick.
“A lot of people didn’t know that there are a variety of services available,” McLemore said.
Dr. Nicholas Mosca, the state Department of Health’s HIV director, said the agency plans to increase testing efforts and spread information about the programs available.
“It’s really about education,” he said.
The state offers a federally funded program to help people whose treatment and medication are not covered by Medicaid or Medicare.
“It’s not meant to supplant the main sources of coverage for people,” Mosca said. “It’s meant to fill in gaps.”
Under the program criteria, a patient’s white blood cell count must be known. This could be a hurdle for people in Mississippi, because many living with HIV do not see a doctor regularly, Mosca said.
“We don’t know where they are in the course of the disease,” he said. “We have to focus on getting them in the door and making sure they stick to the program.”
McLemore said she thinks it would be best for the state to create an informational packet for people who test positive, detailing each of the programs and how residents can seek them.
The state has sought a competitive grant to help fund HIV programs.
The agency has gotten three hospitals, including the University of Mississippi Medical Center, to agree to offer HIV rapid testing when people come to the emergency room.
Officials also hope to start a marketing campaign to dispel misleading information about HIV and testing.
“Some people still see testing as stigmatizing,” Mosca said.
He hopes a grass-roots effort will encourage more people to get tested.
“There has been tremendous improvement in the treatment of HIV,” Mosca said. “The new medicines are much more cost effective and have fewer side effects.”
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