Florida Public Health Goals for AIDS Prevention Not Met, Audit Says
Florida is falling short on several public health goals, including reducing the number of new AIDS cases and reducing the state's infant mortality rate, according to an audit by the state Legislature's Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability, the Fort Myers News-Press reports (Fort Myers News-Press, 1/6). The Legislature had set a goal of limiting the number of new AIDS cases to 30 per 100,000 Florida residents in 2003, but there were approximately 31 new AIDS cases per 100,000 people last year in the state, according to the audit, the New York Times reports (Barnes, New York Times, 1/6). In addition, the rates of chlamydia and vaccine-preventable disease in 2003 were higher than the standards set by the legislature. However, OPPAGA auditors noted that the state has improved in several infectious disease measurements, including "drastically" reducing case rates for AIDS, tuberculosis, gonorrhea and syphilis over the past 10 years, according to the AP/Sarasota Herald-Tribune (Royse, AP/Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 1/5).
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