New Jersey Governor Creates AIDS Advisory Panel
New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey (D) on Tuesday established the Governor's Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS and Related Blood-Borne Pathogens to replace the Governor's Advisory Council on AIDS, which was created by former Gov. James Florio (D), the AP/Newark Star-Ledger reports. The panel will recommend policy, review issues facing HIV-positive people and educate citizens about prevention and treatment options, according to the AP/Star-Ledger. The panel, which will be chaired by Dr. Bob Johnson, an AIDS specialist at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, will include lawmakers, state officials and AIDS advocates. Ricki Jacobs, executive director of the Hyacinth Foundation, will serve as vice chair of the panel (AP/Newark Star-Ledger, 5/28). At the signing of the executive order, McGreevey said, "To win the fight against AIDS, we must continue to support and enhance the lives of those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS through an array of services aimed at prevention and treatment," adding, "We must continue the collective efforts of individuals, communities, and both the public and private sectors to address HIV/AIDS, to limit its transmission, and to bring quality of life to those with limited access and resources." McGreevey signed the executive order in Paterson, N.J., at the opening of a new housing facility for homeless people with AIDS, operated by the not-for-profit organization Straight and Narrow (McGreevey release, 5/27). New Jersey has the fifth highest number of HIV/AIDS cases among the United States (AP/Newark Star-Ledger, 5/28).
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