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HIV/AIDS Timeline
1984
This year's AIDS News from the New York Times 
A heterosexual AIDS epidemic in Africa is revealed . For years, people on the continent have called it "Slim," because it caused slow wasting away of the body, making a person "slim," before death.
The New York Times reports that "in the New England Journal of Medicine on 232 African AIDS cases, a team of Belgian doctors wrote: 'We are struck by the increasing number of patients who have come from Zaire or Ruanda during the past four years to seek medical care. We believe that AIDS is a new disease that is spreading in Central Africa." (NYT, AIDS in Africa: Disease Is Especially Alarming in Zaire, April 17, 1984)
April 24. U.S. researchers headed by Dr. Robert Gallo announce that they have isolated the cause of AIDS and call the virus HTLV-3 . American health officials say they believe the American and French viruses will turn out to be one in the same.
July 13. Evidence implicates a retrovirus as the etiologic agent of AIDS. (MMWR, July 13, 1984 / 33(27);377-9)
United Methodist
May. General Conference (UMC), meeting in Baltimore, MD, does not adopt any resolutions on AIDS. It refers a petition from the California-Nevada Annual Conference to the General Board of Church and Society. More....
October. Michael Collins, co-spokesperson for Affirmation: United Methodists for Lesbians/Gay Concerns dies in New York City, having been diagnosed in Fall of 1983. Formerly clergy of Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference, he was a member of Washington Square UMC in New York City. In his journal after his diagnosis, he wrote "I see myself as a new being--ready to move on--secure in the knowledge that I am to be loved forever."
October. At its annual meeting, the Health and Welfare Ministries of GBGM adopts a departmental position paper on "AIDS and the Compassionate Ministry of the Church," dealing with such areas as research and health education, local church ministries, and concern for human and civil rights. More....
This timeline has been prepared by Nancy A. Carter from GBGM resources, her personal archives, the New York Times, the CDC, UNAIDS and other sources. Please send additions and corrections to her at ncarter@gbgm-umc.org.
Credit line: This HIV/AIDS Timeline by Nancy A. Carter is online at http://gbgm-umc.org/health/aids/timeline.html, part of the web site of Health and Welfare Ministries, General Board of Global Ministries, The United Methodist. This document may be freely reviewed, quoted, reproduced or translated, in part or in full, provided the author and source is acknowledged. It may not be sold or used in conjunction with commercial purposes without prior written approval from Health and Welfare Ministries.
