Cobb cases of HIV on rise

‘Atlanta’ problem moves to the suburbs. State offers assistance, as public health clinic struggles to meet need.

As the county’s population and diversity increases, Cobb’s HIV clinic is seeing more and more clients.

Officials estimate the number of clients will have grown by almost 20 percent over two years. To handle the increase, the clinic needs more staff to do the job and money to pay for it all. State officials have recognized the need, they say, and are trying to help.

Like many counties in the state, Cobb provides comprehensive care for its HIV patients through its public health department, which also includes Douglas County. The clinic is in a nondescript building along with other healthcare services and offices, to protect clients’ privacy. Other counties without governmentoperated clinics often contract with outside organizations for the medical services.

Cobb’s clinic, one of 32 run by the state public health department, reported 628 HIV patients served in 2010. That number jumped 6.8 percent to 671 clients the following year, and will likely see 750 clients by the end of this year, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.

State and local health officials say much of the increase is fueled by population growth and the area’s changing demographics. Between 2000 and 2010, Cobb’s population grew by more than 80,000 residents, or 13.2 percent, according to census figures.

Georgia has some of the highest HIV infection rates in the nation, typically ranking in the top six states for new HIV and AIDS infections. More than 42,000 people are living with HIV or AIDS in Georgia, according to state officials, and about 1,200 HIV and 725 AIDS cases are identified each year.

The increase in cases in the southern part of the country has been greater than other areas, said Patrick O’Neal, director of health protection for the state public health department.

“When I first got here in 1996, we had 80 clients,” said Dr. Africa Alvarez-McLeod, medical director at the Cobb clinic. “We are now seeing many patients come to us with advanced [stage] disease and other diseases that need treat-