Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1999. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
PRNewswire - October 14, 1999
AIDS is the leading killer of African-American males between the ages of 25 and 44 and is the second leading killer of African-American women in the same group. In the Atlanta Metro area, African-Americans accounted for 58% of cumulative AIDS cases whereas whites make up only 39% of the city's AIDS cases.
"African-Americans will enter the 21st century with an unacceptable burden of illness and death from HIV/AIDS, a disease that is totally preventable and treatable," said Stephen B. Thomas, Ph.D., Director, Institute for Minority Health Research, Emory School of Public Health and conference moderator. "Far too many African-Americans have failed to act upon the good news that HIV/AIDS is no longer an automatic death sentence."
"Stopping the spread of HIV infection and accessing medical care for people with AIDS is more of a social and political challenge than a scientific one. This conference is an excellent start by bringing together healthcare professionals, clergy, public and private business sectors and everyday people infected and affected by AIDS," Dr. Thomas continued.
Discussions at the conference will focus on such issues as the epidemiology of HIV in the U.S., the disconnect between the American healthcare system and the African-American community, and HIV in women. The conference will feature presentations and remarks by several prominent clinicians who are on the front lines of treating HIV/AIDS in the African- American community, as well as by public policy experts such as Phill Wilson, President, The African-American AIDS Policy and Training Institute.
"This regional conference is being held as a result of the nationwide health crisis in the African-American community," said John Bartlett, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "Currently in the United States, African-Americans account for 49% of the nation's AIDS cases while they make up only 13% of the population. Unfortunately, there is a stigma associated with HIV/AIDS, which often prevents African-Americans from getting tested for HIV or treated if they find out they are positive. In order to begin addressing this critical situation, African-Americans must understand that by finding out their HIV status and by getting proper treatment, they can live longer and healthier lives."
The fourth regional update from the 1999 National Conference on African- Americans and AIDS will be held on October 14, 1999 in the International Ballroom at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, and is sponsored by The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in collaboration with Emory's Institute for Minority Health Research. The conference is being supported through an unrestricted educational grant from Bristol-Myers Squibb Immunology. In addition to the conference, The AIDS Memorial Quilt will be on display for public viewing. Started in 1987, the Quilt has remained one of the world's most recognized and visceral symbols of the AIDS pandemic. With over 80,000 names on the Quilt, this unique and profound memorial connects communities, families, and friends by illustrating the diversity of the lives lost to the AIDS epidemic.
For general questions about HIV/AIDS and for educational materials, call the CDC National HIV/AIDS Hotline at 1-800-342-AIDS or visit The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine web site at http://www.med.jhu.edu or the Emory Institute for Minority Health Research web site at http://www.sph.emory.edu/bshe/imhr.
SOURCE Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Bristol-Myers Squibb
CONTACT: Debbie Kreshover or Rebecca Norwood, both of Medisphere Communications, 212-213-4211, or 917-208-0682/
Web Site: /http://www.med.jhu.edu/
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