Raymond Blanks Opinion Piece in the Post

The HIV/AIDS epidemic in Washington, D.C., "remains disturbing and depressing," and the district's "rate of infection remains 10 times the national rate," Raymond Blanks, a member of the Community HIV Planning Group, writes in a Post opinion piece. According to Blanks, "many thousands of residents with HIV do not know their status" and "[n]early 20,000 of the city's residents are living with HIV."

The "size of this epidemic requires an adequate scope of services to meet current and increasing demands," Blanks writes, adding that despite pledges from Williams, "real progress still eludes the Administration for HIV Policies and Programs." The "deadly health crisis" in the district is "still growing, while the city's ability to combat this disease with effective prevention and treatment services has not increased accordingly," according to Blanks. A report released last year by the DC Appleseed Center "asserted that the city was 15 years behind the scope and quality of services and management necessary to meet this growing health challenge," Blanks writes, concluding, "No appreciable improvements have been attained lately, while this disease continues to grow where people are most vulnerable. It's time for the district to truly deliver on its promises"