PRNewswire - November 15, 2002

Johnson and GSK announced the education and awareness campaign today.

Eleven years ago, Johnson announced he was HIV-positive and was retiring from basketball. Since then, he has been active, healthy and an inspiration for many in his community.

Working with GSK, Johnson will be crisscrossing the country, speaking to people in communities with a high incidence of HIV and AIDS among African Americans and to physicians who are treating people with the disease. He'll talk about his experiences with HIV, noting that today individuals with the disease have the opportunity to live full and active lives. He will be encouraging those who are at risk to get tested for the virus, for those who are living with HIV to talk with a health care professional, and for those who are taking medicine to understand the importance of taking it every day.

"HIV and AIDS are devastating my community," said Johnson, who led the Los Angeles Lakers to five National Basketball Association championship titles and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame this fall.

"When I found out I had HIV, I worked with my physician to determine the best treatment plan for me. Today, I'm feeling good, thanks to my physician and a positive outlook that includes a healthy lifestyle and sticking with my treatment program every single day."

HIV and AIDS affect the African-American community more than any other racial group. While African Americans make up approximately 12 percent of the U.S. population, they represent almost 38 percent of all AIDS cases reported in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Almost two-thirds of women with AIDS are African American and African-American children represent 65 percent of all reported pediatric AIDS cases. The rate of AIDS cases among African Americans is more than twice that for Hispanics and eight times that for whites.

"Statistics show the dramatic impact of HIV and AIDS on the African- American community, and it has grown worse in recent years," said Johnson.

"People living in fear of having the disease need to find out their status so they can begin fighting it immediately. They need to take control of their lives. Too many African Americans are dying right now because they don't know enough about HIV and AIDS."

"Mr. Johnson is a wonderful role model and a testament that you can lead a full life with HIV," said Pete Hare, vice president, HIV Business Unit, GlaxoSmithKline. "We are very pleased to be collaborating with him to reach out to the African-American community, and will work to reach young and old, men and women with messages of hope and positive action."

GlaxoSmithKline is one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies and an industry leader in HIV research and therapies. The company is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer.

SOURCE GlaxoSmithKline

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