My Word: State health officials tackling major threats.
There are many public-health issues Florida communities face each day. Some of these are concerns we’ve been working to address for many years, such as HIV/AIDS, and others are emerging health threats, such as the Zika virus. The Department of Health has a proven track record of containing emerging health threats, while addressing ongoing publichealth priorities. Our efforts to prepare and protect Floridians from Zika do not diminish our commitment to eliminating HIV/AIDS.
When I was training as a surgeon, HIV and AIDS had just come on the scene, and I remember the widespread fear — not only in the public, but throughout the medical community. Fear replaced reason and was a barrier to care for patients with HIV/AIDS. It was important to me to learn about HIV/ AIDS so that I could provide safe surgical care.
I’ve seen HIV/AIDS at its worst and at its peak, and we’ve come a long way. Still, there is more work to be done. As Florida’s state surgeon general and secretary of the Department of Health, I assure you we are fully committed to eliminating HIV/ AIDS in Florida.
We have remarkable resources going to the fight against HIV/AIDS in Florida. We’re investing $320 million in one of the nation’s most comprehensive HIV/AIDS programs that addresses surveillance, education, prevention, counseling, testing, care and treatment. We’re investing record funding in HIV/ AIDS prevention and are especially focused on targeted outreach.
We’ve devoted 7 percent of our department work force to focus on HIV/AIDS — that’s more than 1,000 publichealth professionals, most of whom are in our county health departments.
Even with all these resources, the only way we will beat this disease is through the connectivity of community thought leaders. Through targeted outreach, the Department of Health brings together community partners to reach high-risk populations for the purpose of education, testing and counseling. By continuing to raise awareness, we can help educate a new generation about HIV/ AIDS.
As we’ve always said, public health is local. Florida is a dynamic state, where no two communities are exactly alike, which is why we do not focus on a “one size fits all” solution. Rather, we take a community-centered approach to tackle public-health issues, like Zika and HIV/AIDS. Working together, we can continue to move health forward.
I’ve seen HIV/ AIDS at its worst and at its peak, and we’ve come a long way.