A community discussion organized by the federal government concerning the development of a National HIV/AIDS Strategy will take place at Berkeley High School this Sunday.

The White House Office of National AIDS Policy selected the high school as one of 14 forum sites nation-wide because of its accessibility and the 600-person capacity of its auditorium, said Shin Inouye, White House director of specialty media, in an e-mail.

According to Berkeley Unified School District spokesperson Mark Coplan, the school is not directly involved with the event.

The importance of holding a discussion in Berkeley is due in part to the Bay Area's high number of HIV cases.

"The Bay Area has been an epicenter of the HIV epidemic in the United States," Inouye said.

According to the city of Berkeley's Web site, the Public Health Division reported that 212 people were living with AIDS cumulatively as of Sept. 2005.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Web site reported that 468,578 people nationwide were living with AIDS as of 2007.

Inouye said the event will allow the public to voice its own opinions and give recommendations based on its own experiences.

"The planning committee for the (Berkeley) community discussion included a diverse group of residents," he said. "We hope to see that diversity represented in the audience members and the recommendations that we receive."

According to the office's Web site, the National HIV/AIDS Strategy will focus on "reducing HIV incidence, getting people living with HIV/AIDS into care, and improving health outcomes and reducing HIV-related health

disparities."

Tags: BERKELEY HIGH SCHOOL, WHITE HOUSE, HIV/AIDS