Baltimore to consider establishing AIDS commission

The Baltimore city council's judiciary and legislative investigations committee will consider Wednesday whether to establish a new commission to coordinate HIV prevention efforts throughout the city, The Baltimore Sun reports. The bill is sponsored by the city's AIDS advisory group, formed in 2002 to address rising HIV infection rates in the city, particularly among African-Americans. Currently prevention programs are offered through a variety of agencies and AIDS service organizations instead of being coordinated by city officials. The newly proposed commission would work to better integrate prevention programs and outreach efforts to cover all of the city's neighborhoods and to concentrate efforts in areas with the highest numbers of new HIV infections. The hearing on the bill will be held at 5 p.m. at Baltimore City Hall, 100 N. Holiday St.