Posts of: NMAC

Resilience

By Fernando De Hoyos · NMAC Treatment Coordinator

Every year we come together on this day to honor the lives and struggles of Long-Term Survivors of HIV and AIDS. For me, everyone who was old enough to remember the early days of the epidemic is a long-term survivor regardless of HIV status. Countless allies living without the virus have been side by side with us along this journey. It was a time like no other in US history. June 5^th was chosen because on this day, in 1981, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) first announced the “mysterious cancer” that was killing gay men around the country. Therefore, this day is a national day of remembrance and sharing our stories of resilience and survival, to document them for posterity.

I have told my story many times, so I want to talk about this year’s theme: “Resilience”. As a long-term survivor, I know resilience very well. Resilience is the ability to cope with adversity and to adapt well to tragedies, traumas, threats or severe stress. Being resilient does not mean not feeling discomfort, emotional pain, or difficulty in adversity. However, people living with HIV are usually able to overcome their diagnosis and adapt well over time. Resilience involves a series of behaviors and ways of thinking that anyone can learn and develop. I believe resilient people have three main characteristics: Know how to accept reality as it is; Have a deep belief that life makes sense; And have an unwavering ability to adapt to almost anything, often making the best out of it.

Resilient people usually possess a good dosage of realistic optimism. A positive vision of the future without being carried away by unreality or fantasies. Our perceptions and thoughts influence the way we deal with stress and adversity. We don’t run away from problems but face them head on and seek creative and innovative solutions. It involves seeing problems as challenges that we can overcome and not as terrible threats. Challenges are opportunities for learning and growing. I think blessings sometimes come in ugly packages, but what is inside could be the gift of a lifetime. “We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think.”– Buddha.

Which takes me to Gratefulness. Gratitude is a major contributor to resilience. When we focus on what we have, we realize that what we might be missing is not as important. It allows us to focus on life from a place of abundance versus a place of deficit. Gratitude improves physical and psychological health. Studies have shown that people living with HIV who practice gratefulness are more likely to take care of their heath, exercise and have good medication adherence. Developing an attitude of gratitude is one of the simplest ways to improve quality of life and sense of wellbeing.

Life is a blessing, with all the good and the not so good. The notion that whatever our journey might be, is unique and wonderful as it is. This is what makes life worth living. We just must be present to enjoy it, and the present moment is a gift, that’s why is called The Present. Please join us in raising awareness about HIV Long-Term Survivors contributions and accomplishments, as well as needs, issues, and journeys.

Yours in the Struggle,

Fernando De Hoyos
Treatment Coordinator

Living the Denver Principles
BY Moisés Agosto-Rosario · Treatment Director

Most people know about USCA and the Summit, but NMAC is so much more than our conferences.  I’m here to discuss our HIV50+ Strong & Healthy Program.  This program works to end isolation by building communities of leaders over the age of 50 who are living with HIV. As a long term survivor myself, I am acutely aware of the unique health challenges our community faces. Long term survivors are more likely to cope with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), increased feelings of isolation, depression, and even higher sentiments of suicide ideation. Through our HIV50+ Strong & Healthy Program, NMAC hopes to inspire and empower these community leaders in taking steps to heal themselves and their communities because we believe that when WE heal our communities WE heal ourselves. Thank you, Gilead, for supporting this important work.

The Denver Principles were the foundation for the self-empowerment and self-determination for PWA (people with AIDS). In 1983, when the principles were written, HIV was a death sentence that was too often used as an excuse to deny housing, healthcare, even funeral services. It took great courage to stand-up and speak-out and many of the gains we have made in the epidemic are due in large part to these community leaders.

With healthcare, medications, and wrap around services, PLWH (people living with HIV) now have the same life expectancy as everyone else. But while, these should be amazing times for all of us, in a survey that NMAC completed of people over 50 living with HIV, we found the opposite. Many long-term survivors expressed feelings of isolation and depression. Survivor’s guilt is real; community based organizations and health departments must address this phenomenon. It is hard getting older when the people who you came up with are gone and you are left alone with nothing but your memories of “better times.”

NMAC is committed to reengaging long term survivors using the Denver Principles of self-empowerment as our guiding light. We believe that PWAs can heal each other and build up the next generation of PLWH leaders. Our program will build a cohort of leaders over the age of 50 who are living with HIV with the goal of bringing them to the 2017 USCA to honor their survival, talk about their losses, and (most importantly) to build their community. This year, NMAC is offering micro-grants to support these activists to develop limited programs to engage their peers: people over 50 living with HIV.  We are not creating an elaborate initiative, just something to start dialogue that will inspire these leaders to get back in the game of changing the world. The deadline to apply is June 2nd. I hope you will join us.

Fighting the epidemic in the early days was unexplainable.  But with all the grief, loss, and pain, there was also a family that came together that changed the world. Treatment has altered the course of the epidemic but some of the early leaders have been pushed aside as distant memories. After spending all that time fighting an epidemic, many of us never really dealt with the deaths and guilt from surviving and so many of us are still struggling to cope with the trauma of those early days.

This is a unique moment in our movement’s history.  We really can create pathways to ending the epidemic; however, we need all people living with HIV, particularly those who were there from the beginning, to step up and rejoin the movement. Depression and isolation must not become their sole narrative and we cannot lose their leadership to the annals of history.

Our next class of 50 leaders starts at USCA. You must apply by June 2^nd to be considered.

Yours in the Struggle,

Moisés Agosto-Rosario
Director of Treatment
202-836-3669
Treatment Coordinator
202-836-2226

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                            
May 25, 2017

Washington, DC – NMAC is dismayed to hear about the deep cuts proposed by the President’s FY18 budget around essential programs that have helped us gain ground in turning the tide of the HIV epidemic. Core programmatic efforts have helped us sustain advancements and break new ground in the battle against HIV. Particularly, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Secretary’s Minority AIDS Initiative Fund (SMAIF) has played a key role in advancing health and well-being for communities of color across this country. The President’s current budget recommends no funding for the SMAIF at this critical time in the fund’s existence.

The HHS SMAIF was established by Congress in 1999 as part of the Minority AIDS Initiative in response to the growing concern about the disproportionate impact of HIV and AIDS on racial and ethnic minorities in the United States. Each year, SMAIF provides more than $50 million to support a wide range of activities that are designed to reduce new HIV infections, improve HIV-related health outcomes, and reduce HIV-related health disparities in racial and ethnic minority communities.

“The Secretary’s Minority AIDS Initiative Fund is a true example of innovation with timely projects to find solutions that maximize the deployment of resources to facilitate strategic community investment,” stated Paul Kawata, Executive Director of NMAC. “These focused grants are used to fill gaps, target key challenges in the public health framework and find new approaches for reaching those were most vulnerable. Lessons learned extend to other the health arenas as well as benefiting those vulnerable to HIV or living with HIV through cost-effective programs.”

The SMAIF promotes novel programs that address critical emerging issues, and have established new collaborations across Federal agencies. These projects are significant in that they are designed to complement – and not duplicate – other HIV prevention and care activities and to create lasting changes in Federal programs that improve the quality, efficiency and impact of HIV programs that serve racial and ethnic minorities. Specifically, the SMAIF funds are used to:

• Implement best practices to address long-standing and critical emerging issues to improve HIV prevention and care for the highest-risk racial and ethnic minorities
• Expand the capacity of the HIV prevention and care workforce to address the needs of the highest-risk racial and ethnic minorities
• Improve access to HIV prevention and care services for underserved racial and ethnic minorities who otherwise would have only very limited access to HIV services
• Provide new avenues for agencies to work together and break down silos in HIV prevention and care programs for racial and ethnic minorities
• Promote lasting changes across the Federal HIV prevention and care portfolio that improve HIV-related outcomes for racial and ethnic minorities

“It is important to remember that the President’s budget is just a recommendation to Congress. The final allocations of funds in entirely in the hands of Congress,” continued Kawata. “And it incumbent on us to make sure they understand the importance of our programs what they do to change lives and best use our resources to their best efforts.”

TAKE ACTION: HIV/STD Action Day is scheduled for September 6^th, the day prior to the start of the United States Conference on AIDS.  The President’s budget has cut or eliminated many important programs, it’s going to be a fight and our movement cannot afford to stand on the sidelines.  If we don’t support and advocate for HIV funding and programs, who will?  Register today, its free! Congress is in session on September 6^th so your U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives can see you.

President Trump’s FY 2018 Budget Cuts Essential HIV/AID & STD Programs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 24, 2017

Washington, DC – Yesterday, President Donald Trump released his administration’s detailed FY 2018 Budget. AIDS United, NASTAD, the National Coalition of STD Directors, NMAC and The AIDS Institute join together to oppose the draconian cuts proposed by the Administration including many programs that are essential for the treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS and STDs.

“The country has made great progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS and STDs, but if these cuts are enacted, we will turn back the clock, resulting in more new infections, fewer patients receiving care, and ultimately, more suffering from diseases that are preventable and treatable.” said Michael Ruppal, Executive Director of The AIDS Institute.

The President’s budget proposes to cut CDC’s HIV prevention programs by $149 million or 19 percent, cut CDC’s STD prevention programs by $27 million or 17 percent since FY 2016, totally eliminate the Ryan White Program’s AIDS Education and Training Centers (AETC) and the Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS) programs, eliminate the HHS Secretary’s Minority AIDS Initiative Fund, reduce SAMHSA’s Minority AIDS Initiative programs, and cut the Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA) program at HUD by $26 million.

Jesse Milan, Jr., President & CEO of AIDS United stated, “We have seen historic decreases in the number of new HIV infections over the past six years because of sustained investments in prevention, and we have thousands of HIV positive Americans who have yet to achieve viral suppression through treatment programs. By cutting funding, the work we have done will be reversed, and all the work left to do will falter and put the health of our nation at risk.”

“President Trump’s proposal to reduce CDC’s STD prevention work comes at a moment of national crisis when we are seeing the highest STD rates in 20 years. If enacted, this will devastate our ability to prevent and treat STDs and it will undermine our ability to prevent HIV. We urge Congress to reject these extreme cuts and increase STD, HIV and public health funding,” said David C. Harvey, Executive Director of the National Coalition of STD Directors.

“I fear that these cuts signal the Administration’s lack of empathy for people living with or who are at risk for HIV,” said Paul Kawata, Executive Director of NMAC. “President Trump’s proposal to eliminate or dramatically cut many of these programs will increase the racial and socio-economic disparities we see in communities disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. This budget will hurt the most vulnerable, and Congress must consider it a non-starter.”

Murray C. Penner, Executive Director of NASTAD concluded, “Together we will fight these cuts at every stage of the appropriations process. We need to protect these programs that provide life-saving treatment for those living with HIV and work to prevent the spread of HIV and STDs. We trust that Congress will agree and recognize that these cuts are harmful, short-sighted, and will damage our nation’s public health infrastructure.”

AIDS United (AU), NASTAD, the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD), NMAC, and The AIDS Institute (TAI) are national non-partisan, non-profit organizations focused on ending HIV in the U.S. They have been working in partnership to identify and share resources to sustain successes and progress we have made in HIV and STD prevention, care and treatment in the United States.

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