Dr. Anthony Fauci's Statement for National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

Cross-posted from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

As we mentioned in yesterday’s blog post, this Saturday. March 20th is the fourth National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Below are excerpts from a statement by Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, National Institutes of Health, on National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. To read the entire statement, visit the NIAID website.

Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., Director of NIAID

“

On National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of NIH, joins American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians in remembering those who have succumbed to HIV/AIDS. We at NIAID reaffirm our commitment on this occasion to the goal of controlling and ultimately ending this devastating pandemic.

An estimated 3,500 American Indians and Alaska Natives have been diagnosed with AIDS; more than 1,790 already have died. Tragically, the proportion of American Indians and Alaska Natives who survive after an AIDS diagnosis is smaller than that of any other U.S. racial or ethnic group...

I applaud the many individuals and organizations who are working in native communities to promote HIV testing, prevention and linkage to care; to foster tolerance of homosexuality; and to reduce alcohol and substance abuse. We at NIAID stand with American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians in the ongoing battle against the HIV/AIDS pandemic.”

National Native HIV and AIDS Awareness Day

By Deb LeBel

For the fourth year in a row, on March 20, many communities around our country will stop to observe National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NNHAAD). The National Native HIVAIDS Awareness Day Planning Committee comprised of representatives from Colorado State University’s Commitment to Action for 7th-Generation Awareness & Education: HIV/AIDS Prevention Project , the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona , and National Native American AIDS Prevention Center works year round to support local observance of this day and to call attention to the impact of the epidemic among Native American/Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian people in our nation.

The Indian Health Service (IHS), an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services, is responsible for providing federal health services to American Indians and Alaska Natives. We asked Captain Scott Giberson of the Indian Health Service about the importance of National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Capt. Giberson told us that American Indians/Alaskan Natives have “the third highest rate of new infections of HIV/AIDS of any race or ethnicity in the U.S. population.” Check out the IHS website for more resources on responding to HIV/AIDS in American Indian/Alaskan Native communities, and make time on March 20th to respond to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in your communities.

March 10 - Redoubling Our Efforts on National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

By Tina Tchen, Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement and Executive Director of the Council on Women and Girls, (Cross-posted from the White House Office of National AIDS Policy Blog)

(Left to right) Moderator Rosie Perez, Dr. Howard Koh (HHS), Tina Tchen (White House Council on Women and Girls), Janet Cleveland (CDC) and Amna Osma (Michigan Department of Community Health) participate in a briefing on HIV/AIDS and women

Today, we commemorate the 5th annual National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to participate in a briefing held by the National Alliance for State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) and the HHS Office on Women's Health with important leaders in Congress. The event highlighted how the domestic epidemic is affecting women and how much we need to maintain our commitment to addressing this public health issue.

The statistics are sobering: Every 35 minutes, a woman tests positive for HIV in the United States. While women in the U.S. represented 8 percent of AIDS diagnoses in the 1980's, they now account for 27 percent. The HIV epidemic in the U.S. disproportionately impacts women of color: HIV/AIDS is one of the leading causes of death among black women and Latinas. Compared to white women, the AIDS case rate is 5 times higher for Latinas and 20 times higher for black women. Clearly, we must redouble our prevention efforts as well as improve care and treatment for women living with HIV.

Taking Action to Respond to HIV and AIDS Among Women and Girls

By Deb LeBel

Did you know that every 35 minutes a woman tests positive for HIV in the U.S.? That's why the Office on Women's Health (OWH) is encouraging women to get tested and help raise awareness of the increasing impact of HIV and AIDS on women and girls for National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NWGHAAD) which takes place tomorrow, Wednesday March 10.

Last year we shared some of the ways OWH was using new media to extend the reach of NWGHAAD. Around the United States an estimated 200 events will occur to get people involved in-person and online to observe the day and to take action in response to the epidemic. You can check out some of the in-person events happening throughout the country (and find one to attend!) on the NWGHAAD website. OWH is also hosting their own in-person NWGHAAD event at the Press Club in Washington DC on March 10th. You can register here to watch a live webcast of this event.

Reaching the Right People with the Right Tools for National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

By Deb LeBel

I recently had a conversation with LaMont “Montee” Evans of Healthy Black Communities to talk about plans for National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD). On February 7, 2010, the nation will recognize NBHAAD for the 10th year. Evans serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Healthy Black Communities, Inc., the lead organization on the Strategic Leadership Council (SLC) which plans and directs this day annually. This year’s theme is “HIV/AIDS Prevention: A Choice and Lifestyle.”

In thinking about the longevity of this observance, I wondered how SLC’s methods and strategies have changed over time. My thoughts went to Forrester Research’s POST model, which we’ve mentioned before — so I asked Montee to talk briefly about the people they are trying to reach for NBHAAD, their objectives and strategies, and what tools best meet their needs.