AIDS lecture April 8, 2987

The Current Crisis in AIDS
By

C. Everett Koop, MD, ScD

Surgeon General
Of the

U.S. Public Health Service

And
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Health
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Presented at the Pasquariello Lecture
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
April 8, 1987

 

This was the third lecture in as many days on AIDS given in the general vicinity of the
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in the University of Pennsylvania. This one had a
specific title, The Current Crisis in AIDS and was given in honor of Patrick Pasquariello,
MD, one of the hospital’s most beloved practitioners of pediatrics and one of the best
teachers of pediatrics to medical students at the University of Pennsylvania. He was a
personal friend with whom I had practiced for many years, and it was a pleasure to speak
on this occasion honoring his contributions to pediatrics and especially the Children’s
Hospital.

 

If one had no knowledge of AIDS at all, this would be a great place to start. If someone
knew about as much as the average member of the public does, this should be a great
refresher course. In short, there is nothing said in these pages that hasn’t been said three
or four times by me to public audiences in the last month. Let’s call it a primer — a way
to get your feet wet in the subject of AIDS without being overwhelmed with statistics or
theories. For that reason, there will be no index.