Up Close: Fight against AIDS

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Following the news that a number of AIDS researchers on their way to a conference in Australia had died when the Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 was shot down, it made us ask: where do we stand in the fight against AIDS, especially here in New York City?

The rate of HIV in the U.S. fell by one third over the past decade, but every year more people are diagnosed with the virus in New York City than anywhere else in the country.

But that could soon change. The CDC and the World Health Organization are now urging healthy men at high risk of getting HIV to take a drug called "Truvada", a brand name for "Prep", which stands for pre-exposure prophylaxis.

If taken daily, the drug has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV infection by more than 90 percent. Governor Cuomo is even making New York the first state to make Truvada part of a plan to cut new HIV infections.

But if it's so effective, why aren't more people taking the drug? Joining us this week: the new CEO of the Gay Men's Health Crisis, Kelsey Louie.

Also this week, we discuss the case of Eric Garner, the Staten Island man who died after being placed in an apparent chokehold by an NYPD officer as police attempted to arrest him.

With us is Councilwoman Debi Rose, who represents the Tompkinsville section of Staten Island where Garner's confrontation with police took place, and Eugene O'Donnell, a former NYPD officer and trainer who teaches law and police studies at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

NOTE: We are unable to post cell phone video showing the incident between the NYPD and Eric Garner due to copyright restrictions.