BLACK CAUCUS SEEKS ACTION ON AIDS

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Congressional Black Caucus Monday called on the
Clinton administration to declare a public health emergency over HIV/AIDS
which it said was the leading cause of death among African Americans aged 25
to 44.

"HIV/AIDS funding must be targeted to the populations and communities where
the epidemic is growing most rapidly," Rep. Maxine Waters said.

The California Democrat who heads the group told a news conference that one
in 50 African American men and one in 60 African American women were
infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

"We have decided to call on the Secretary of the Department of Health and
Human Services, Donna Shalala, to declare HIV/AIDS a public health emergency
in this country and to marshal the necessary resources to attack the disease
in the African American and minority communities where it is growing at an
alarming rate," she said.

The National Association of People With AIDS (NAPWA) joined the members of
Congress in urging action and appealed to President Clinton to take the lead.

"We ask President Clinton and our nation's leaders to put more resources in
these communities to combat this dreadful scourge," NAPWA executive director
Cornelius Baker said.

Copyright © 1998 Reuters Limited.

Checked-by: Melodi Cornett