STATEWIDE ROUNDTABLE
HIV/AIDS Prevention, Treatment & Care for Latinos in Alabama
Thursday, February 21, 2008
9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa/Convention Center
201 Tallapoosa Street, Montgomery

Alabama has experienced a rapid increase in its Latino population in recent years. AIDS provider agencies are struggling to formulate appropriate prevention strategies, reach affected persons and provide care. They often face linguistic and cultural barriers in forging ties with an unfamiliar and highly mobile population. Bilingual professionals are hard to recruit even when resources are available to support them.

Immigrants also face barriers in accessing health care of all kinds. They often are reluctant to make contact with government institutions, including health departments. They may be unaware of the risk of HIV infection or experiencing sexual initiation without orientation or guidance. Many are single men cut off from family and friends and with limited English-language skills.

The numbers of HIV and AIDS cases among Latinos are creeping steadily upward throughout the Southeast. Nationally, Latinos are disproportionately affected by HIV and AIDS. When compared to Caucasians, Latino men are twice as likely and Latina women four times as likely to have AIDS. Too many of the new HIV infections reported among the Latino population are also being diagnosed as AIDS simultaneously.

Many state and federal authorities responsible for HIV/AIDS policy are concerned about the increase of HIV and AIDS among Latino residents and are encouraging stakeholders to develop appropriate response strategies and action plans. Meanwhile, local initiatives throughout the South are breaking new ground with innovative prevention and care programs.

The Latino Commission on AIDS has joined with the Alabama Department of Public Health HIV/AIDS Division and the Alabama Office of Minority Health to stimulate a dialogue with community leaders and representatives of prevention projects and organizations serving people living with HIV in Alabama through a statewide Roundtable to be held in Montgomery on February 21, 2008. Please join us on that date, and pass on this announcement to your colleagues.

Registration is available at the Commission website click here to register

There is no registration fee for the Alabama Roundtable on Latinos and HIV/AIDS.