Business Wire - November 30, 2007

WHAT:

The County of Los Angeles, Department of Public Health, Office of AIDS Programs and Policy, will recognize government officials, public health leaders and HIV/AIDS community representatives in an awards ceremony and breakfast commemoration of World AIDS Day on December 1.

After the awards ceremony, participants will sign cards with personal messages to honor and remember those who lost their lives to HIV/AIDS, attach the cards to a red balloon, and release the balloons into the Los Angeles skyline. (Please note that the balloons are environmentally friendly and use biodegradable latex material and string.)

The Department of Public Health is also releasing a new report on Knowledge and Perceptions of HIV/AIDS among County residents. The report, based on data from the 2005 L.A. County Health Survey, reveals that while half of County adults consider HIV/AIDS a serious health issue in their community, misunderstandings about HIV/AIDS persist.

World AIDS Day is an opportunity to inspire people to serve as leaders in stopping the spread of HIV and AIDS in local communities and around the world.

WHEN:

Saturday, December 1, 2007

9:00 a.m. - Breakfast

10:00 a.m. - Awards Ceremony: HIV Prevention and Care Services Awards

10:30 a.m. - Keynote Speaker: Gretchen Morgan (HIV+ for 20 years)

11:05 a.m. - Remembrance of those lost to AIDS

11:15 a.m. - Red Balloon Launch

WHERE:

Dorothy Chandler Pavilion - Los Angeles Music Center 135 N. Grand Ave. (at 1st Street)

WHO:

Available for on-site interviews:

Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH, Director, Public Health and Health Officer, County of Los Angeles, Department of Public Health

-- Mario J. Perez, Director, Office of AIDS Programs and Policy, County of Los Angeles, Department of Public Health

-- Jeff Goodman, Commission on HIV, HIV+ spokesperson

WHY:

More than 30,000 people have died of AIDS in Los Angeles County since the epidemic began 2-1/2 decades ago, and County health officials estimate that 15,000-18,000 people in Los Angeles County are currently unaware they are infected with HIV.

Contacts

BBPR, Inc. | Dienna D'Olimpio, 310-980-6936

071130
BW071141

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