Executive Summary: Progress Report

and this Administration has expressed its willingness to develop such a plan. However, after
almost four years, a National Plan on HIV/AIDS remains in development. The Council
eagerly awaits the release of this plan.
Research:
The Council is pleased with the strong commitment made by the Administration in
attempting to reorganize all HIV/AIDS research within the various Institutes of the NIH
under the leadership and direction of the OAR. We believe that such reorganization ensures
a more coordinated, efficient, and ultimately successful research endeavor. The President's
strong and consistent support for the OAR is to be commended. However, action by the
Congress in FY 1996 makes clear that further work is required to ensure that OAR can
exercise its full budget authority in FY 1997 and beyond. The Council is also pleased by the
rapidity with which the President called upon Vice President Gore to commence an ongoing
dialogue between industry leaders and Government scientists in an attempt to expedite a more
coordinated approach to drug, vaccine, and microbicide research and development. Such
efforts must be continued, with inclusion of additional constituencies, including the AIDSaffected community, academic scientists, and others. The strong support articulated by the
President in the area of microbicide research is greatly appreciated, as we believe such
compounds offer significant promise in preventing HIV transmission in a cost-effective and
culturally sensitive manner. Further investment will be required in the years ahead. The
Council appreciates the Administration's concerns for inclusion of women, children, and all
disenfranchised groups infected by HIV into clinical research studies. We look fcrward to
specific actions to ensure that pediatric and gender-specific plans are required at the time of
any new drug application to the Food and Drug Administration. In addition, future
recommendations will be forthcoming from the Council in the areas of vaccine research and
development and in behavioral research.
Prevention:
We were pleased that the President announced during his December 1995 White
House Conference on HIV/AIDS his goal of ensuring an annual decrease in the number of
new HIV infections in the United States of America. However, the Council continues to
have grave concerns that much of the Federal HIV prevention strategy is underdeveloped,
lacks focus, and is overly timid. We believe that a bold and carefully conceived plan,
including generation of necessary political and societal support, is essential for achieving
effective prevention strategies. The Council looks forward to working with the President and
his Administration to develop such a plan and support for it.
The Council commends the Administration for its support of the prevention
community planning process; its development of more direct public service announcements
that discuss condoms and that seek to target high-risk populations such as young people of
color and gay and bisexual men; and its opposition to Congressional efforts to decrease
access to substance abuse prevention and treatment programs. However, the Council
continues to believe that Federal policy regarding needle exchange and the lack of
integration/coordination of HIV prevention strategies with substance abuse treatment