October 15, 2015
Communities Commemorate National Latino AIDS Awareness Day
EDGE READ TIME: 2 MIN.
National Latino AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD), is held each year on the last day of Hispanic Heritage Month on October 15th takes a nationwide community mobilization approach to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic. NLAAD fosters a collaborative effort among schools, faith based communities, health departments, hospitals, community based organizations and many others, to promote HIV testing, awareness, and education.
This year's theme, "You and I will Defeat AIDS" is a call to action that encourages the growing Latino/Hispanic communities in the United States and territories to become aware of the disproportionate impact of HIV and AIDS.�
Tony Ochoa, Program Manager of National Latino AIDS Awareness Day shared, "addressing the impact of HIV and AIDS in the Latino/Hispanic communities requires a commitment to act. Raising awareness gives me hope to achieve an AIDS-free generation."�
"Today, we recognize the progress that has been made towards improving awareness and expanding access to HIV/AIDS treatment, and recommit ourselves to ending the AIDS epidemic in our communities," said�Jose Calderon, President of the Hispanic Federation. "A future without AIDS is possible if we continue to invest strategically and significantly in prevention, education, research, and services, particularly in black and Latino communities that are disproportionately impacted by HIV & AIDS."
More than 220,000,000 Latinos are living with HIV in the US and many more that do not know their status. It is important for Latinos and all New Yorkers to get tested for HIV, and seek treatment today.
"We recognize the commitment and leadership of Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill De Blasio to address the impact of HIV and AIDS in New York," stated Guillermo Chacon, President of the Latino Commission on AIDS. "The Latino Commission is extremely concerned with the increase of HIV cases among Latino Gay men. We must do more at all levels to address this difficult challenge."
For more information, visit www.NLAAD.org
