World AIDS Day 2016 (AUDIO)

For World AIDS Day a new plan to end HIV/AIDS in Massachusetts has been launched entitled Massachusetts Getting to Zero Coalition led by the AIDS Action Committee, Fenway Health & over 35 supporting organizations from the six health regions of the Commonwealth. The plan seeks to ensure that by 2020, 90 percent of those living with HIV are aware of their status; 90 percent of those diagnosed with HIV are treated with antiretroviral therapy & 90 percent of those receiving antiretroviral treatment are virally suppressed. It is modeled on the Getting to Zero new HIV infections plan created by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS which has been adopted by the state of New York & city of San Francisco. The plan will be formally launched today on World AIDS Day December 1st at a reception at Harvard Medical School from 6P to 8P. Carl Sciortino, AIDS Action Executive Director stated, “As we seek to end AIDS in Massachusetts, we’re taking that same approach of going directly to those at highest risk of HIV infection to ensure they have the treatment they need to stay healthy. But we’re also going to employ sexual health training for healthcare providers & make big data available for prevention program designers to exploit every possible opportunity to end the spread of HIV.” Listen to this exclusive audio byte with gay activist & historian Cleve Jones who talks about how AIDS affected our LGBT community. Jones has been an AIDS activist for over 30 years. After working with Harvey Milk, Cleve conceived the idea of the AIDS Memorial Quilt.
For More Info: gettingtozeroma.org
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