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BY FREDERIC LARSON/THE CHRONICLE
Surgeon General C. Everett Koop visited the new hospice for AIDS victims in San Francisco

Koop Urges Reagan
To Take the Lead

In ‘War’ on AIDS
By Randy Shilts

U.S. Surgeon General C, Ev-
erett Koop called on President
Reagan yesterday to “assume a
role of leadership” in fighting
the AIDS epidemic.

‘In a visit to San Francisco, the
riaGion’s top physician also endorsed
“sigtional planning” on how federal,
state and local governments can co-
ordinate their efforts against the
disease.

“We've got to have. Jong-term
finaneial planning, the way. you'd
plan‘én how to finance a war,” said

  

 

  

alt, *his is a war.”

- Koop’s comments came in.an
interview onthe first day of his
three-day Northern California tour
designed to heighten public awar-
ness of the AIDS epidemic.

“This morning; Koop and Nobel
Prize-winhing scientist Dr. David
Baltimore are scheduled to address
a joint session of the state Legisla-
ture. After the session, Koop plans
to‘meet with Governor Deukmejian.

Koop’s’comments about Rea-

gan came as scientists grow increas-

‘ingly critical about the lack of any

presidential statements about the

epidemic, which has claimed more
than 31,000 victims in America.

In the six years of the epidemic,
Reagan has publicly mentioned -
_AEDS only once. The comment came

last year in response toa reporter’s

question in a press. conference. |

Since then, the president has not
issued any other statement about
the disease or its victims.

At a press conference yester-
day with Koop, virologist Baltimore,
who is chairman of the National
Academy of Sciences’ AIDS Task
Force, said he hoped the publicity
about the surgeon general's visit to
San Francisco will “embarrass the
administration into bringing the re-
sources that are necessary to deal
with this epidemic forecefully.”

“This is an issue which is impor-
tant and calls for presidential lead-
ership,” Baltimore said later. “The
effort to stem the tide of AIDS will
hot be complete until the president
asserts his leadership.” :

Baltimore added, however, that

“whether the administration in the

‘ form of President Reagan (does this)
‘$cems dubious to me.”

Koop told The Chronicle that
an “elaborate series of plans” to
brief the president on the AIDS epi-
demic were formulated late last
year after the surgeon general cal-

led for massive education and pre-

vention programs across the coun-
try.

“That meeting has been post-
poned several times,” Koop said, be-
cause of the Iran arms scandal. An-
ottier meeting. with the president is
scheduled for the end of March, he
said.

If he were called into the presi-
dent’s office this morning, Koop
said, he would ask Reagan “to as-
sume a role of leadership” in the
battle against the epidemic.

“It’s conceivable that attheend —

of this month, he'll do it,” Koop said.

a: Reagan. appointes- “After:

The surgeon general also said
the federal government could en-
courage the development of an
AIDS vaccine by issuing a purchase
order assuring pharmaceutical
companies that the government
would purchase enough vaccine

doses to.make research profitable.

Koop described the plan, a
statewide. version, of which was
adopted by ‘the Legislature last
year, as ‘a good system.”

In his-first stop in San Francis-
co yesterday, Koop toured_a:Castro-

‘District AIDS hospice and lauded

the “pioneering role” that San Fran-
cisco has taken in fighting the epi-
demic.

“We are not going to bé able to

afford all the costs of taking care of

all the people with AIDS in hospi-
tals,” said Koop after walking

through the Coming Home Hospice
on Diamond Street.

“This is precisely the kind of

facility we are going to need in or-

der to provide compassionate care
to the enormous numbers of people

‘who will be coming down with AIDS

in the years to come.”
‘Koop argued against. sugges-

‘tions for mandatory AIDS testing,

saying it might “drive the epidemic
underground.”

Koop’s tour of Northern Cali-
fornia was organized by San Fran-
cisco Assemblyman Art Agnos, who
used his appearances with Koop to
promote an omnibus AIDS he intro-
duced to the Legislature on Mon-

“day. Among other things, the bill

would establish a state AIDS com-
mission to set priorities for AIDS
programs and funding.

In an appearance before physi-
cians last night, Koop said, “I would
hope what Art Agnos has proposed
to your Legislature becomes law.”
The bill, he said, was “the model of
what could be done nationally.”

Agnos’ bill also would ban dis-
crimination against AIDS victims.
When reminded that Governor
Deukmejian previously has vetoed
such legislation twice, Koop said the
issue was “on the list” of issues he
planed to discuss with the governor
today.

After Koop’s hospice visit yes-
terday, a 29-year-old AIDS sufferer
cast the significance of the surgeon
general’s Northern California visit
in more prosaic terms.

 

San Francisco Chronicle

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