On Sunday, February 7, the country will commemorate the tenth annual
National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. It’s a day that reminds us that
HIV/AIDS is still a public health crisis in the US. And it’s a day when
communities and organizations across the country come together to
recognize the impact this disease has had on the African American
community.
African Americans make up almost half of Americans living with HIV/AIDS
today. Blacks represent 12 percent of the population, but account for
nearly fifty percent of new HIV infections. In their lifetimes, 1 in 16
African-American men and 1 in 30 African-American women will get an HIV
diagnosis.
These are not just startling statistics—these numbers represent people
we know and love: neighbors, friends, members of our families and our
faith communities. And it’s time that we as a nation take action: to
improve care and treatment for those who are HIV positive and to
strengthen our prevention efforts to stop the spread of HIV.
President Obama has made domestic HIV/AIDS a priority. He has set goals
of reducing HIV incidence, increasing access to care and improving
health outcomes, and reducing HIV-related health disparities. His 2011
budget includes more than $3 billion, an increase of $70 million, for
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Health
Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to enhance HIV/AIDS
prevention, care, and treatment. The budget also focuses on HIV testing
among high-risk groups, including men who have sex with men, African
Americans, and Hispanics.
Later this year, the Administration will roll out a National HIV/AIDS
Strategy, which is being developed with input from care providers,
advocacy groups, and people living with HIV/AIDS. The Department of
Health and Human Services will play a large role in implementing this
strategy, which will guide our HIV prevention, care, research, and
treatment efforts.