
Welcome to the first edition of CONNECTIONS, the bi-monthly
NCHHSTP e-newsletter. With the new year, we launch this new
communication tool to improve collaboration, and strengthen
relationships with our partners, like you, who are vital to our
mission of maximizing public health and safety nationally and
internationally through the elimination, prevention, and control
of disease, disability, and death caused by HIV/AIDS, non-HIV
retroviruses, viral hepatitis, other sexually transmitted
diseases (STDs), tuberculosis (TB), and non-tuberculosis
mycobacteria.
In this and future editions, we will provide our latest
surveillance reports, introduce new activities and update ongoing
activities, and share successes and best practices.
While there isn't enough space in one newsletter to cover all of
the important activities surrounding HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis,
STD, and TB prevention, we hope this newsletter will be a
resource for information and opportunities to work together more
effectively. I encourage you to share feedback and ideas by
e-mailing me at
nchhstpdirector@cdc.gov.
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National Black HIV/AIDS
Awareness Day
February 7, 2008, marks the eighth annual observance of National
Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD), a day dedicated to the
prevention of HIV/AIDS in the African American community. This
year's theme, Prevention is Power, encourages African Americans
to get educated, get tested, get involved, and get treated.
HIV/AIDS has had a tremendous impact on the African American
community. When looking at HIV/AIDS by race and ethnicities,
African Americans bear a disproportionate burden of this disease,
and as a result, have more illness, more deaths, and shorter
survival times than any other racial or ethnic group. Although
HIV is not directly related to race or ethnicity, some blacks
face unique challenges, such as poverty, stigma, high rates of
sexually transmitted diseases, and substance abuse, which may
place them at greater risk of contracting HIV.
Working in conjunction with CDC, the Strategic Leadership Council
is responsible for strategically directing and overseeing NBHAAD
and assists in coordinating the overall planning of what will
occur leading up to February 7. Organizations supporting NBHAAD
are highly encouraged to visit www.blackaidsday.org to download materials,
access the planning toolkit, and register their events.
Fighting the
epidemic requires urgent, widespread, sustained action by all of
us. CDC is currently working with African American leaders from
every sector and with our public health partners on a Heightened National Response to HIV in the
black community. Together, we are intensifying HIV prevention
efforts on four fronts: expanding the reach of prevention
programs; increasing opportunities for HIV testing and treatment;
developing new, effective prevention strategies; and mobilizing
broader community action.
CDC and our NBHAAD partners encourage African Americans to make
February 7 the day to get tested for HIV, get educated about HIV,
and talk to loved ones about the disease. Prevention is power -
the power to educate and to make a difference... more
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February 7
National Black HIV
/AIDS Awareness Day
March 10
Women and HIV, for
National Women and
Girls HIV/Awareness
Day
March 10-13
National STD Prevention
Conference Chicago,
Illinois
March 24
World TB Day
A major strategic priority for NCHHSTP, Program Collaboration and
Service Integration (PCSI) will focus on improving collaboration
between programs in order to enhance integrated service delivery
at the client level, or point of service delivery... more

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