New WH AIDS policy director is HIV-positive

The White House on Monday announced the appointment of Douglas Brooks as the new director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP).

{mosads}The White House said in a statement that Brooks is a “person living with HIV.”

Brooks most recently served as senior vice president for Community, Health, and Public Policy at the Justice Resource Institute.

The White House said Brooks would “work to reduce new HIV infections, improve health outcomes for people living with HIV, and eliminate HIV health disparities” at ONAP.

“Douglas’s policy expertise combined with his extensive experience working in the community makes him uniquely suited to the task of helping to achieve the goal of an AIDS-free generation, which is within our reach,” President Obama said. “I look forward to having him lead our efforts from the White House.”

Last December, Obama announced that his administration would redirect $100 million to a new research program at the National Institutes of Health seeking a cure for HIV. Funding for the program was diverted from other AIDS research funding.