National HIV/AIDS researcher to speak at USC

Dr. David D. Ho, Time magazine's 1996 Man of the Year for his groundbreaking research on AIDS, will deliver the 2008 Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Lecture at the University of South Carolina's School of Law ON Wednesday.

The 5 p.m. lecture, planned for the law school's auditorium, will focus on the AIDS epidemic and the ethical dilemma of providing treatment locally and globally.

Ho's lecture is free and open to the public.

The HIV/AIDS infection rate is high in South Carolina, making it one of the state's most pressing health issues.

According to data from the state Department of Health and Environmental Control, South Carolina ranks 10th among the states in the rate of HIV/AIDS infection, and Columbia ranks 11th among metropolitan areas.