Kanawha County has the
most alarming HIV outbreak in the nation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But Tuesday, a small team from the CDC arrived in the capitol city to figure out what more could be done to stomp out this growing epidemic.
In February, the CDC offered to help. With a
push from Charleston Mayor Amy Goodwin, the state requested an “Epi-Aid” an investigation followed by rapid, short-term assistance.
In April, the CDC sent two specialists to Charleston for a three-month term. Now, the CDC is sending reinforcements a team of five to nine people will work in Charleston for four weeks, along with a host of experts working remotely.
Kyle Vass/ WVPB Johanna Miesner and other Charleston residents spoke out in favor of more mental health response resources during a city council meeting.
Activists continue to push the City of Charleston to implement policing alternatives after an incident where police officers shot a man last month.
At the Charleston City Council meeting on Monday, local activist Hunter Starks asked that police not be dispatched on every 911 call. Starks said there are other ways to approach vulnerable citizens in the throes of a mental breakdown.
“When someone is in crisis, an authority figure with a gun will always feel like a threat for so many reasons,” Starks said.
Photo courtesy of SOAR Debra Young and Joe Solomon volunteer for Solutions Oriented Addition Response, or SOAR, at a weekend health fair.
A grassroots harm reduction program in Charleston connects those with substance use disorder to a host of services: food, menstrual products, HIV testing and medical referrals. It also hands out sterile syringes, with the goal of curbing blood-borne illnesses. But that particular service has come under fire from the City of Charleston. Elected officials cite concerns over needle litter and potential pricks. A proposed ordinance that will be taken up Monday could limit syringe programs in the city.
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