The following is a statement from National Minority AIDS Council Director of Community Advancement and Leadership Strategies Dr. Kim Johnson:
Washington, DC – “Today, the National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC) commemorates National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NWGHAAD). After years of cuts to funding for HIV/AIDS and other public health programs, , NWGHAAD is not only a day to raise awareness of the epidemic’s toll on America’s women and girls, but also a day for action.
“The HIV/AIDS epidemic remains a paramount public health concern for women in the United States, especially for women of color who bear a heavier burden of the disease. Each day approximately 26 women are newly infected with HIV. Eighteen of these women are African American. While recent estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed a promising decline in new infections among women, the burden of infection continues to shift heavily toward women of color. Infection rates among African American women jumped from 15 times the rate of White women in 2009 to 20 times that of White women in 2010. And HIV continues to be one of the top 10 causes of death for African American women aged 15 to 64 and Latinas aged 25 to 44.
“Our nation must step up its efforts to combat this epidemic and ensure the health of our mothers, sisters and daughters. On this National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, NMAC urges all women to get tested and to get involved in the fight to end this epidemic. We have the tools to realize an AIDS-free generation, but must do more to address the persistent and disproportionate impact this epidemic has on women of color.”
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Kyle Murphy, kmurphy@nmac.org