Title: HIV/AIDS Section Celebrates An Anniversary

Author:

Section/SPIG: HIV/AIDS

Issue Date:

---

A Brief History

Beginning in 1992, APHA had an AIDS Working Group, composed of appointed members, whose major task was the preparation of monographs providing information regarding the HIV/AIDS epidemic for both consumers and professionals. Some of the monographs dealt with issues such as HIV testing, women and HIV, and others. The first chair was an APHA president. The committee members, in 1995, asked that the Executive Board consider restructuring the committee to change its composition. The result was that the AIDS Working Group was disbanded right before the 1995 APHA Annual Meeting. Basil Vareldzis then petitioned APHA's Executive Board to approve the creation of an HIV/AIDS Caucus. The petition contained some 100 or so names. This petition was denied in 1996. In 1997, long-time APHA member David Rosenstein, serving as the chief petitioner, asked that the Executive Board approve the stablishment of a SPIG. There were some 300 or more names on the petition. This was approved, and at the 1997 Annual Meeting in D.C., the SPIG held its first organizational meeting, with Dr. Rosenstein serving as chair. The first item of business was to document the rationale for becoming a section. The major work for this was done by Basil Vareldzis, David Rosenstein, Brenda Woods-Francis and Richard Conviser. The SPIG continued to grow and receive interest and attention. The Governing Council formally approved section status for the SPIG in 2001. The HIV/AIDS Section, one of the newest in APHA, continues to evolve to address emerging national and international issues in prevention, care and treatment in the rapidly changing field of HIV. We are pleased that we will be honored at the Annual Meeting in Boston as we celebrate our fifth anniversary as a section in APHA.