Coalition of Latino, African American, and Asian Leaders Partner With Health Care Providers to Request State Funds to Tackle Growing HIV Cases in Communities of Color
Posted on: Friday, 2 March 2007, 12:00 CST
LOS ANGELES, March 2 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic among women and men of color, a coalition of Latino, African American, and Asian legislators, health care providers, and activists come together to expose the "HIV/AIDS Health Care Disparities" in the region. The coalition calls for new strategies to build awareness around HIV/AIDS testing.
State Chair of the Health Committee in the Assembly, Mervyn Dymally (D-Compton), is spearheading these efforts, joined by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez (D-Los Angeles), Senate Majority Leader Gloria Romero (D-East Los Angeles), Assemblymember Kevin De Leon (D-Los Angeles), Assemblymember Michael Eng (D-Monterey Park), and California Board of Equalization Judy Chu. In addition, the coalition has proposed an increase in state funding to reduce HIV cases in communities of color.
"We can no longer ignore the increasing concentration of this disease on poor communities of color. We need to seriously revisit our strategies and look for new approaches to reverse these trends," said Assemblymember Mervyn Dymally.
"The HIV/AIDS epidemic is escalating in our poorest communities. We need to prioritize public education funds for the promotion of HIV/AIDS testing with messages that are linguistically and culturally relevant," said Castulo de la Rocha, J.D., President and CEO of AltaMed Health Services. "With strong leadership and initiative from Assemblymember Dymally and the coalition, we have a unique opportunity to educate and inform our communities about the HIV/AIDS. Although AltaMed has specialized in providing healthcare to HIV/AIDS patients, we find it unacceptable to allow late diagnosis and delayed access to vital medical treatments for the hundreds of thousands of people of color who may be unaware they have the HIV/AIDS virus."
"For more than 25 years Molina Healthcare has specialized in meeting the healthcare needs of culturally diverse populations across the country," said John C. Molina, Chief Financial Officer at Molina Healthcare, Inc. "The growing HIV/AIDS epidemic in medically underserved communities throughout Los Angeles is a healthcare concern that requires significant prevention and education efforts. We are proud to work with Assemblymember Dymally, Alta Med, and Palms to help provide solutions to this growing problem, particularly in those communities that need our help the most."
"As the casualties mount day after day through disease and death, it is urgent and unavoidable that we as a community come together, set aside our fears, phobias, misconceptions, costly silence and actively confront this horrible threat to our lives and future as a people," said Kevin Pickett of the Palms Urban Health Institute.
According to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health HIV/AIDS Epidemiology Program, 72% of Latinos living with HIV/AIDS in L.A. County received their HIV/AIDS diagnosis too late (within 12 months of first learning they had the HIV virus), which infers not only delayed testing but missed opportunities to take full advantage of vital antiretroviral treatments.
Overall, HIV/AIDS disproportionately affects African American and Latino communities in the U.S. Nationally, Latinos account for 14% of the population but 20% of the HIV/AIDS infections. In comparison, African Americans represent 13% of the population, but 50% of people living with HIV/AIDS in the U.S. HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death for male Latinos 24-44 in the United States. In comparison, HIV/AIDS is the second leading cause of death for all African Americans 35-44. For Asian Pacific Islanders, one of the fastest-growing ethnic/racial populations in the U.S., HIV/AIDS is also on the rise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of Asian Pacific Islanders living with HIV/AIDS has climbed by more than 10 percent in each of the last 5 years. Per population, American Indians/Alaska Natives have the third highest rates of HIV/AIDS behind African Americans and Latinos. American Indians, while comprising a small percent of the population in Los Angeles County, have the second highest rate of people living with AIDS at 3.2 per 1,000 population.
In California, the most common form of HIV/AIDS transmission is through male-to-male sexual contact. Many Latino, African American, and Asian Pacific Islander men who have sex with men do not self-identify as gay and therefore may reject prevention messages and other social marketing campaigns targeted to openly gay men. They may also be reluctant to access health services for fear of being perceived as being gay. Women most commonly contract HIV/AIDS through sex with an infected man. HIV/AIDS is the number one leading cause of death for African American women 25-34 and the second leading cause of death for Latinas 24-44.
The Latino Coalition Against HIV/AIDS was formed in Los Angeles in 2004 and encompasses a broad group of local Latino political, government and community leaders. Funded by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Office of HIV/AIDS Programs and Policy, and under the auspices of AltaMed Health Services, the Coalition develops public and private partnerships to address key public policy issues associated with Latinos and HIV/AIDS in Los Angeles County and provides leadership in the development of local, state and federal legislative responses.
Molina Healthcare, Inc., is among the most experienced managed healthcare companies serving patients who have traditionally faced barriers to quality healthcare-including individuals covered under Medicaid, the Healthy Families Program, the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and other government-sponsored health insurance programs. Molina has health plans in California, Indiana, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio, Texas, Utah and Washington as well as 21 primary care clinics located in Northern and Southern California. The company's corporate headquarters are in Long Beach, California.
The Palms Urban Health Institute works with a network of HIV/AIDS health and supportive services agencies to achieve mission goals related to HIV/AIDS in the African American community. Among these organizations (not exhaustive) include: 5P21, the HIV/AIDS Clinic at County/USC Hospital, Oasis Clinic, the HIV/AIDS clinic operated by Martin Luther King Jr. Hospital, HIV/AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Curtis Tucker Health Center, Tarzana Treatment Center, APLA, Augustus F. Hawkins Community Mental Health Center, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Chrysalis, PATH and Maxine Waters Employment Preparation Center.
Contact: Eddie Gutierrez Coalition Against AIDS 323-401-6332
Latino Coalition Against AIDS
CONTACT: Eddie Gutierrez, +1-323-401-6332, for Latino Coalition AgainstAIDS
Source: PRNewswire
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