US AIDS Policy Chief Confirmed

Acting White House director of AIDS policy Patricia Fleming has been named to the permanent post. A former assistant to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, she succeeds Katherine Gebbie, who gave overinflated expectations as the reason for her resignation after only 11 months.

Ms Fleming says her chief mission is shaping the AIDS budget from its beginnings until approval by Congress. She will also be the liaison with community groups and will try to promote cooperation among AIDS programs in different federal agencies. More money should be spent on research into vaginal microbicides and on the female condom, she says, and more effort put into halting the rise in infection, especially among women, adolescents and minorities.