LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the world’s largest AIDS organization, announced its support for the Justice for All march, called by the National Action Network and planned for December 13th in Washington, D.C. In light of current events that have sparked national outrage and protests against enduring racial injustice in the U.S. criminal justice system—including the lack of indictments in the recent police killings of two unarmed black men, Michael Brown and Eric Garner—AHF stands with the thousands of activists and peaceful demonstrators who have publicly called for racial equality.
“Although recent events have once again exposed long-standing discrepancies in our nation’s respect and treatment of racial minorities, we know that prejudice and stigma that targets one community ultimately impacts every one of us,” said AHF President Michael Weinstein. “Whether it be equal access to gainful employment, affordable housing within safe communities, effective schools or life-saving medical treatment for HIV/AIDS, AHF stands with the National Action Network and the social justice community in declaring that black lives matter.”
In response to the fact that African American and Latino communities continue to be disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS, AHF launched its national “AIDS Is A Civil Rights Issue” public awareness campaign in February 2014 as a joint effort with the National Action Network and local church and community leaders to highlight this health disparity and emphasize the fact that access to HIV prevention, care and treatment for HIV/AIDS should be universal. Currently, African Americans account for 44% of all people with HIV/AIDS in the United States, yet only account for 12% of the population. Latinos account for 21% of all new HIV infections nationwide, yet only represent 16% of the U.S. population. In part because of stigma and lack of access to medical care, African Americans are the least likely of any ethnicity to be retained in care or to be virally suppressed and are ten times more likely to die from AIDS-related complications.
“We remember all too well how the founders of our movement had to take to the streets and descend upon Washington to be seen and heard during the height of the AIDS crisis,” continued Weinstein, who in April was presented with National Action Network’s “Keepers of the Dream” award. “Today, we join hands with our brothers and sisters who are still striving to be recognized as full citizens of our society.”
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to nearly 367,000 individuals in 36 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare.
AHF’s AIDS Is A Civil Rights Issue forums have been held in Jackson, MS (2/7/14); Dallas, TX (2/22/14); Los Angeles, CA (2/23/14); Baton Rouge, LA (2/28/14); Ft. Lauderdale, FL (4/23/14); and Brooklyn, NY (9/18/14) and Las Vegas (11/7/14). For more information, please visit: http://www.aidshealth.org/civil-rights/
