South leads nation in AIDS cases, lags in funding

A report released Sunday by a regional AIDS conference indicates that the Southern United States leads the country in new HIV infections and overall AIDS cases but does not receive enough funding to effectively manage its infection rates, according to NewsRx.com.

The South leads the nation in the number of people living with AIDS--130,000, more than the number of people living with AIDS in the Midwest and West combined. The Northeast ranks second, with just over 100,000 people living with AIDS.

A "Southern States Manifesto," written by representatives from 13 states in the South, is being sent to members of Congress and state legislatures to request additional funding. The 13 states that have signed on to the manifesto include: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

"We intend to be very loud about it and very forceful, because our people are dying all over the South," said A. Gene Copello, executive director of Florida AIDS Action. "It's time for America to serve everyone with HIV and AIDS."