Phill Wilson on the state of HIV/AIDS in Black America and Dallas County! #NBHAAD
National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
February 7, 2016 marks the 16th year for National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD), a national HIV testing and treatment community mobilization initiative targeted at Blacks in the United States and the Diaspora. NBHAAD was founded in 1999 as a national response to the growing HIV and AIDS epidemic in African American communities.
The NBHAAD initiative leverages a national platform to educate, bring awareness, and mobilize the African American community.
NBHAAD has four key focus areas which encourage people to:
Get Educated about HIV and AIDS;
Get Involved in community prevention efforts;
Get Tested to know their status; and
Get Treated to receive the continuum of care needed to live with HIV/AIDS.
The governing body of NBHAAD has evolved over the last 15 years into the Strategic Leadership Council (SLC). The SLC provides guidance, direction, and strategic thought to engaging more African American community stakeholders and organizations to make NBHAAD a success.
Our theme this year is “I am my Brother/Sister’s Keeper: Fight HIV/AIDS.” We have to challenge the mindset in our homes, communities, workplace, churches, mosques and temples, because we all need to take a stand against HIV/AIDS.
We had the honor of hosting Phill Wilson, President and CEO of the Black AIDS Institute, as our keynote speaker at The 3rd Annual Red Tie Affair: World AIDS Day Gala (Wed, Dee 02, 2015). The message was so powerful and still resonates today, so we thought it was would only be right to share it as we celebrate the 16th anniversary of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.
By getting on and adhering to medical treatment, HIV+ individuals can achieve viral suppression (a very low level of HIV in the blood, also referred to as undetectable). When virally suppressed, HIV+ individuals stay healthy and significantly lower the chances of transmitting the virus to their sex parter(s). For more information on testing and HIV treatment call 214-393-3700! To donate, visit myresourcecenter.org/give!