Latino Leaders Call for Increased Aids Awareness/Enhanced Resources to Combat HIV Epidemic in Their CommunitiesCongressional Briefing Officially Kicks Off The Annual National Latino AIDS Awareness Day 2010

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Congressional and Latino community leaders called for enhanced efforts to combat the growing HIV epidemic in their communities and adequate resources to implement the Administration’s new HIV/AIDS Strategy during a Capitol Hill congressional briefing.
“With a disproportionate share of HIV/AIDS cases in Latino communities and Puerto Rico, we must increase our community mobilization to save lives. HIV is preventable.”
.The calls came in response to the recent release of the White House HIV/AIDS Strategy, which addresses the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic among communities of color nationwide and in Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia by identifying the most heavily impacted jurisdictions with rising incidences of HIV/AIDS. Hispanic leaders also expressed their fears that, due to ongoing financial crises in jurisdictions with the highest number of Latino HIV and AIDS cases, HIV prevention and treatment programs were suffering devastating cuts.
“Recognizing that our communities have faced persistent barriers to accessing HIV services, I commend the President for unveiling the HIV/AIDS strategy, with a goal to reduce the number of new cases by 25 percent in the next 5 years,” said Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-34th/CA), who is chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Health Care Task Force. “However, it is critical that we stay vigilant to ensure the promises of health care reform and the national HIV/AIDS strategy do in fact provide comprehensive, measurable improvements in access, prevention, and HIV/AIDS outcomes in our Latino communities.”
Soraya Galeas, the Metropolitan Latino AIDS Coalition stated that, "With a disproportionate share of HIV/AIDS cases in Latino communities and Puerto Rico, we must increase our community mobilization to save lives. HIV is preventable."
Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-18th/FL) announced that, “We need to come together to reaffirm our commitment to increase HIV/AIDS awareness in all Hispanic communities in both Spanish ...