HIV Alliance & Lane County Public Health Department Call for Continued Action to Prevent HIV

HIV Alliance & Lane County Public Health Department Call for Continued Action to Prevent HIV
Posted on 12/01/2015

Eugene, OR—This World AIDS Day, HIV Alliance and Lane County Public Health Department are urging the community to remain vigilant in its conviction and dedication to end HIV/AIDS. Agency officials state that while we have reduced new infections, future HIV prevention requires constant attention in order to “Get to Zero.”

While we have made great strides in reducing the number of new HIV infections, there is still no cure for HIV,” stated Dr. Patrick Luedtke.  “HIV is a very persistent and vigorous virus and despite all the new medications, we have not been able to defeat it entirely. So we must stay vigilant; HIV prevention is a long term game.”  

World AIDS Day was established on December 1, 1988 as a day to build world awareness about HIV.  HIV is still the world’s leading infectious killer.  The World Health Organization estimates that nearly 39 million people have died since the first cases were reported in 1981. Worldwide some 35 million people are living with HIV; 3.2 million of those people are children.  In the United States over 1.2 million people are living with HIV and over 650,000 have died. The national goal for World AIDS Day this year is “Getting to Zero: zero new infections, zero discrimination, and zero AIDS related deaths.”

“Every 9.5 minutes someone in the United States is infected with HIV” says Renee Yandel, Executive Director of HIV Alliance.  “We can prevent this disease, but we need everyone’s help to make that happen.  No one should have to live with this disease.”

Officials with HIV Alliance and Lane County Public Health attribute their success in reducing new HIV infections to their unique and long-standing partnership to end this disease. HIV Alliance and Lane County Public Health are encouraging Lane County residents to do their part this World AIDS Day. Attached to this e-mail you can find one fact sheet outlining “10 Things You Can Do to Stop HIV”. Key staff from HIV Alliance and Lane County Public Health will be available for interviews on November 30, and December 1, 2015.

HIV Alliance was formed in 1994 to prevent new infections of HIV and provide compassionate to care to individuals living with this disease.  HIV Alliance currently provides care coordination, nursing case management and pharmaceutical support to over 850 people living with HIV/AIDS in eleven counties.  The organization also provides HIV outreach and prevention services and education programs for youth.

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Jason Davis
Lane County Health & Human Services
Public Information Officer
(541)682-8707 (Office)
(541)510-6257 (Cell)