California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
(copyrighted photo used with permission)

There were a couple of interesting statistics reported in The New York Times late last week. According to Tara Parker-Pope:

Americans are living nearly two-and-a-half months longer, according to new life expectancy statistics released today. In 2007, life expectancy in the United States reached a high of nearly 78 years, up from 77.7 a year earlier.

Life expectancy in the United States has been on the rise for a decade, increasing 1.4 years — from 76.5 years in 1997 to 77.9 in 2007, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]. The life expectancy data, compiled by the agency’s National Center for Health Statistics, are based on nearly 90 percent of the death certificates filed in the United States.

Further:

The C.D.C. also reported a 10 percent drop in death rates related to H.I.V./AIDS, the biggest one year decline in mortality since 1998. H.I.V. is the sixth leading cause of death among 25 to 44 year olds.

POZ.com responded with additional statistics:

According to the CDC, AIDS-related death rates fell 10 percent—the biggest one-year drop in AIDS mortality since 1998. However, 11,061 people died from AIDS in 2007. For all races combined, it remained the 13th leading cause of death for 15- to 24-year-olds the 6th leading cause of death among 25- to 44-year-olds and the 11th leading cause of death for 45- to 64-year-olds.

A ten percent decrease in AIDS-related deaths can certainly be taken as positive sign that our AIDS/HIV organizations are doing something right, including here in California, where Republican Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, just used (or possibly abused) his line item veto to decimate AIDS programs and services up and down the state. All told, the Governor approved more than $83 million in cuts to California’s AIDS/HIV care and prevention programs.

Says Mark Cloutier, CEO of The San Francisco AIDS Foundation: “The hopeful statistic was the result of more HIV-positive people receiving counseling, treatment and support services.” Cloutier added, “This is the worst time to eliminate the very services that are helping people lead longer and more productive lives.”

Cloutier called on Sacramento to pursue alternative solutions:

“We urge the governor and the Legislature to reverse these destructive budget cuts by reconsidering revenue enhancements that would maintain the state’s safety net without hindering economic recovery … In times of fiscal crisis, responsibility for balancing the state budget and creating an emergency reserve fund should be borne by all of us and not just by the neediest people in California.”

The San Francisco AIDS Foundation’s online form makes it easy to add your voice to the call for sanity in Sacramento.