Business Wire - August 5, 2003

NMAC is the largest national organization dedicated to addressing the challenges of HIV/AIDS within the minority community.

"Each year the USCA attracts more than 3,500 dedicated AIDS workers, advocates, public officials and policymakers to come together and address the most pressing challenges and discuss direction for the coming year," said Mr. Paul Kawata, Executive Director, NMAC. "We have lined up an exciting spectrum of speakers and entertainers to draw broader national attention to the serious state of HIV/AIDS in the minority community, and to what steps must be taken to reverse this grave trend."

In 2004, NMAC is recommitting itself to fighting AIDS at home through programs that educate minority populations about how not to spread AIDS. HIV infection rates in the U.S. are rising exponentially among minority communities; in 2001 a Hispanic person was almost four times as likely as a Caucasian person to be diagnosed with AIDS, and an AIDS diagnosis was nine times more likely for an African-American person than for a Caucasian person. African-Americans made up only 12.5 percent of the U.S. population in that year, but accounted for 42 percent of cases of those living with AIDS.

USCA 2003 Conference Overview

The USCA is the largest conference of HIV/AIDS workers in the United States and is sponsored by numerous community-based organizations, corporations, government agencies, foundations and non-profit associations. This premier national HIV/AIDS conference provides the most comprehensive venue for these groups and individuals to meet, network and set agendas for the coming year.

Several new elements have been added to this year's conference including:

-- Daily live webcasting so those who can't attend can tune in to daily speakers and plenary sessions.

-- Screening of BET/RAP-IT-UP's Video "The Naked Truth II," which explores issues of morality, sexuality, self esteem and AIDS through honest and intimate conversations with six African-American women.

-- A memorial service and jazz funeral honoring those who have died of HIV/AIDS.

Plenary Sessions

Daily plenary sessions will be held to address the following four themes:

-- Treatment and Research

-- Emerging Issues in HIV Prevention

-- International Perspective on AIDS

-- Access to Care

Plenary sessions will be hosted by expert panels comprised of leading experts from government, health agencies, academia, national advocacy organizations and associations. The International Perspective on AIDS plenary will be a foodless plenary, where for the second consecutive year NMAC will provide donations to International AIDS Organizations in lieu of food.

In addition to the plenary sessions, USCA will also host an exhibitor hall, as well as workshops, roundtable discussions, networking meetings, and special events designed to promote maximum interactions between conference participants and panelists.

Partners and Sponsors

USCA is hosted in conjunction with numerous sponsors who add unique content and perspective to the conference.

Federal government co-sponsors include:

-- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

-- The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

-- Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)

-- Office of AIDS Research (OAR)

-- Office of Minority Health (OMH)

-- Office on Women's Health (OWH)

-- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, (SAMHSA)

-- U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

-- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

2003 USCA program partners include:

-- AIDS Action

-- AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth & Families

-- AIDS, Medicine & Miracles

-- Association of Nutrition Services Agencies

-- The Balm In Gilead

-- Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS

-- Camp Heartland

-- Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS

-- Elton John AIDS Foundation

-- LIFEbeat

-- Mothers' Voices

-- The NAMES Project Foundation

-- National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors

-- National Association of People With AIDS

-- National Native American AIDS Prevention Center

-- The Red Hot Organization

Pharmaceutical sponsors include:

-- Corporate -- GlaxoSmithKline and Abbott

-- Gold -- Bristol-Myers Squibb and Roche

-- Silver -- Agouron

-- Bronze -- Boehringer Ingelheim

-- Friendly -- Ortho Biotech

Media Information

All media must be credentialed to attend the conference and should contact Mindy Crowe (mcrowe@brwlegrand.com) or Dave Beachley (dbeachley@brwlegrand.com) at 303-298-8470. A final speakers list and plenary session agenda will be issued to media in August.

About National Minority AIDS Council

The National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC) was founded in 1987 to develop leadership within communities of color to address challenges of HIV/AIDS. NMAC has responded to the needs of communities of color by developing programs aimed at enhancing the skills necessary to confront this health crisis, including a public policy education program, national and regional training conferences, a treatment and research program and numerous publications. Today, NMAC is an association of AIDS service providing organizations, hospitals, clinics and other groups assisting individuals and families affected by the AIDS epidemic.

CONTACT: National Minority AIDS Council

Carole Bernard, 202-483-6622, cbernard@nmac.org

or

BRW LeGrand

Dave Beachley, 303-298-8470, dbeachley@brwlegrand.com

Mindy Crowe, 303-298-8470, mcrowe@brwlegrand.com

SOURCE: National Minority AIDS Council

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