Raising Awareness about HIV/AIDS in the African American community

For over 25 years, HIV/AIDS has been a devastating disease. More recently the disease has become prevalent amongst African Americans. In order to combat the damage that HIV/AIDS has caused in the African American community, The Balm in Gilead, Inc. established a program focusing on raising awareness about the disease. I think that it is important to be cognizant of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), the virus which causes AIDS. Currently, a cure for AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) does not exist. The Black Church Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS is a national campaign that was started in 1989 by the New York City based Balm in Gilead, Inc. During the week, black church congregations are encouraged to educate and empower their congregants about HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programs. This year the week will be recognized from Sunday, March 1, 2009 to Saturday, March 7, 2009. HIV/AIDS is a global illness; however, people of African descent have been particularly affected by the disease. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention & the Harvard AIDS Institute:

* 1 in 50 African American men is HIV-positive and 1 in 160 African American women is HIV-positive.
* HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death for African American women ages 25 – 34.
* Research from the World Health Organization shows that HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death on the African continent.
* Of the approximate 40,000 new HIV/AIDS cases in the U.S. each year, more than ½ occur in African Americans.

Pernessa C. Steele is the Founder/CEO of the Balm in Gilead. She writes on the organization’s website about the importance of HIV/AIDS awareness in communities of color. “My heart grew sad as I considered the rate of HIV infection among African Americans living in some communities, like Harlem, New York and Birmingham, Alabama. In far too many African American communities the rate of HIV infection has now increased, and in some cases surpassed, the rate of HIV infections in some African communities.” Steele says. Worldwide half of new HIV/AIDS infections occur in people under the age of 25. According to the 2006 PBS Frontline special “The Age of AIDS,” HIV is present in every country in the world and about 40 million people worldwide are living with HIV. Worldwide, an estimated 8,000 people die from the disease each day. Clearly, HIV/AIDS is a global illness that has devastated millions of lives. Therefore, it is imperative to speak out against HIV/AIDS discrimination and also to learn about the disease.

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