December 1, 2011

World AIDS Day – “Getting to Zero”

Illinois ranks 7th in the nation for HIV/AIDS Cases

CHICAGO – More than two decades after the first observance of World AIDS Day and the 30th anniversary of the first reported cases of HIV/AIDS, global leaders are urging the public to remain vigilant in stopping the spread of HIV infection.

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS estimates that 33 million adults and 2.5 million children are living with HIV worldwide and, therefore, the theme for the 2011 World AIDS Day—observed every December 1 since 1988—is “Getting to Zero”.

“There has been tremendous and groundbreaking work done worldwide to educate the public in the effort to prevent the further transmission of HIV,” said Dr. Kenneth Soyemi, acting director of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). “But we must continue working globally and locally to reach our goal of zero AIDS-related deaths.”

Illinois has the 7th highest number of AIDS cases in the nation, with 38,265 cases reported since 1981. Half of all Illinois cases are African-American, and of those diagnosed since 1981, 20,970 have died.

IDPH sponsors several programs and funds many organizations statewide that aim to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, and also are providing access to healthcare services for those living with the disease. Among them:

• Quality of Life Endowment Fund – Proceeds from the “Red Ribbon Cash” scratch off lottery game are used to fund organizations providing HIV/AIDS prevention and support services.
• AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) – Serves 4,100 low-income persons diagnosed with HIV/AIDS per month access life-saving anti-retroviral drugs.
• BASUAH – Brothers and Sisters United Against HIV/AIDS program promotes HIV/AIDS awareness among communities of color, which are disproportionately impacted by the disease, through education, collaboration and community engagement. Visit BASUAH.org for more information.

Additionally, IDPH hosts numerous testing sites statewide, and launched the HIV/AIDS testing center and event locator Text 2 Survive in English and Spanish. Using a mobile phone anyone can search for free health events and HIV/AIDS testing locations by texting the words “EVENT” or “IL” plus their five-digit ZIP code to 36363. The public can also text “ALERT” to 36363 to receive HIV/AIDS and other important health updates. For Spanish, text the word “CENTRO” plus the five-digit zip code to 36363.

For a full list of HIV/AIDS resources and more information, visit http://www.idph.state.il.us/aids/default.htm or call the statewide HIV/AIDS and STD hotline at 1-800-243-2437.