African American HIV/AIDS Program Staff
Jim Addison - Program Coordinator
Shana L. Brown - Program Assistant
Cynthia Jasper - Prevention Specialist
Newsletters & Publications
AATF Newsletter July 2010
HISTORY
In 1998, the alarmingly high numbers of HIV infections among African-Americans led U.S. Surgeon General, David Satcher, to declare a National State of Emergency. To respond to the AIDS crisis, the African-American HIV/AIDS Task Force was formed by the Black Health Coalition in November 1998. The Task Force brings together community based organizations (CBOs), churches, businesses, criminal justice, educators, health care providers, social service organizations, fraternities and sororities, AIDS-serving organizations, HIV infected and affected individuals, families, and volunteers. We believe the community must play a leadership role in creating solutions to the challenges it faces.
African American HIV/AIDS Technical Assistance/ Capacity Building:
Task Force
Consumer Issues Committee
This committed is comprised of people living with HIV/AIDS, and those affected by the disease. This committee also ensures that consumer issues are recognized, met and addressed effectively.
Youth Leadership Council
Youth involved in this committee share their opinions on HIV related issues while becoming skilled HIV peer educators, and knowledgeable advocates of HIV policy.
Click here to be redirected to our Youth Leadership Council Page.
The HIV/AIDS program provides these services to individuals and agencies of color that provide or are interested in providing HIV education, prevention and care. Some of the areas covered include (but are not limited to) outreach, program design and evaluation, grant management, cultural competence, and grant writing. All are designed to build the infrastructure of agencies of color and to increase the capacity of the community to participate in it's own solutions. These services are provided on both an individual and group basis.
S.I.S.T.A.
Sistas Informing Sista's about Topics of AIDS is a group - level, gender and culurally relevant intervention, designed to increase condom use among heterosexually active African American women. Five peer-led group sessions are conducted that focus on ethnic and gender pride, HIV Knowledge, coping, and skills training around sexual risk reduction behaviors and decision making.
Click here for more information and sessions dates for SISTA.
Other Services
Faith Based Initiative
The HIV/AIDS Program collaborates with organizations that have a religious or spiritual base. These organizations have become venues for reaching and educating members of the African American Community not reached through traditional Community Based Organizations.
Current Projects:
African American HIV/AIDS Pastor/Ministry Leaders HIV/AIDS State Certification Workshop
Black Church Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS
Counseling, Testing and Referral
In the Milwaukee metro area, new cases of HIV among young African American MSM's tripled from 2001-2008.
Although African Americans make up 13% of the United States, almost half of those living with HIV or AIDS are African American.
AIDS is the leading cause of death of African American women ages 25-34. Every 9 1/2 minutes someone is the U.S. is infected with HIV. That's about 56,000 per year. Over 50% of HIV patients cannot afford their HIV medications. While nearly 40% of HIV patients have no health care coverage. More than 50% of all HIV infected individuals reside in Milwaukee's urban neighborhoods. The Wisconsin Division of Public Health estimates that as many as 41% of Black MSM in Milwaukee County are infected with HIV. African American Females are 15 times more likely to contract HIV than white women in Milwaukee. Connect with the African American HIV Task Force on Facebook to stay up to date on facts, statistics and events!
