Tuesday, August 20, the South’s leading HIV/AIDS advocate, Southern AIDS Coalition (SAC), hosts the inaugural Southern HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (SHAAD) in Birmingham, Alabama. SHAAD is an opportunity to bring people together from across the country to join a national movement to:
- Raise awareness
- Erase HIV-related stigma and discrimination
- Advocate for new and necessary resources and solutions for the Southern HIV/AIDS epidemic
SAC anticipates participation from 15 other leaders from state and local government, healthcare organizations and more than 60 community and corporate partners. The diversity of the convening makes this gathering a pivotal point in the HIV/AIDS advocacy discussion in the South. Additionally, SAC anticipates participation from U.S. Senators Doug Jones (D) and Richard Shelby (R ) as well as Congresswoman Terri Sewell in exploring what it will take to implement President Trump’s Ending the HIV Epidemic plan.
The events for the inaugural Southern HIV/AIDS Awareness Day are as follows:
The Elected Official Care Site Tour and Round-Table Discussion:
- Date: Tuesday, August 20, 2019, from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
- Locations: UAB 1917 Clinic, 908 20th Street S., Birmingham, Alabama 35294
SHAAD Evening Reception
- Date: Tuesday, August 20, 2019, from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
- Locations: Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, 520 16th Street North, Birmingham, Alabama 35203
Southern Solutions Meeting
- Date: Tuesday, August 21, 2019, from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
- Locations: RMTC Cabaret Theater, 301 19th Street North, Birmingham, Alabama 35203
“Despite decades of research, advocacy and action, the South still leads the nation in HIV incidence, prevalence and AIDS-related deaths. This is especially true for youth, black and Latinx, MSM and trans women. And, unfortunately, black women living throughout the rural South are leading in AIDS-related deaths according to the Southern HIV/AIDS Strategy Initiative,” said Aquarius Gilmer, Senior Manager, Government Affairs & Advocacy.
The inaugural Southern HIV/AIDS Awareness Day seeks to change that narrative. The Southern HIV/AIDS Awareness Day could not happen soon enough. The South is literally in the midst of a crisis. According to the Center for Disease Control, more than 52% of all new HIV diagnoses in the nation are in the South. This is 36% higher than the national average.
