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AIDS Action Council Praises Release
of Latest
State of AIDS
in Black America
Report
Commends the Black
AIDS Institute and
Supports
Congressional Black Caucus’s Call to Action
WASHINGTON, Sep. 25, 2007 – AIDS Action Council
congratulates the Black AIDS Institute on today’s release of “We’re the Ones
We’ve Been Waiting For,” its latest report on the state of AIDS in Black
America and what black communities are doing about it. AIDS Action Council also welcomes and
supports the Call to Action issued today by Members of the Congressional Black
Caucus for a mobilization to end the epidemic in black America and for the development of a national
AIDS strategy in the United
States.
The report provides an update on the HIV/AIDS epidemic’s
impact on black Americans, including the percentage of people living with AIDS
in each state who are African American, as of 2004. In 15 states, more than 50% of the people
living with AIDS are black. The report
gives updates on HIV testing, prevention efforts, and the state of treatment
among black Americans and gives an overview of what is being done to combat
HIV/AIDS through the Black AIDS Mobilization.
“The latest report by the Black AIDS Institute starkly
reminds us of the impact that HIV/AIDS is having on black communities
throughout our country,” said Rebecca Haag,
Executive Director of AIDS Action. “In
the 27th year of this epidemic, it is shameful that we have the
numbers documented in this report, highlighted by the fact that in 2004, 50% of
new HIV/AIDS diagnoses were among black Americans. This underscores further the need for a
national AIDS strategy, for which over 100 organizations are calling. The centerpiece of a national AIDS strategy must
be addressing and ending the epidemic in black communities throughout America.”
In releasing its report, the Black AIDS Institute also
announced a major initiative to test 1 million black Americans by Dec. 1, 2008. “We can do this and we will,” stated AIDS
Action council Board member Tony Wafford,
Vice President of the Palms/African American Community Development Initiative. “This campaign will allow us to do something
different and innovative to get 1 million African Americans tested for
HIV.” The initiative will organize
forums to educate people about HIV testing and will test people in partnership
with local community-based organizations.
AIDS Action Council is committed to working in partnership
with the Black AIDS Institute, The Balm in Gilead,
the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS and other national, regional
and local organizations to support the Black AIDS Mobilization against HIV/AIDS
including the HIV testing initiative.
“We have sound, evidence-based knowledge of what needs to be done,” said
Haag. “We now must mobilize all sectors of our country, including the next
President, to act.”
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