For Immediate Release

Media Contact: Justin Burke - 213.201.1525

EMAIL:jburke@apla.org

APLA JOINS THOUSANDS IN OBSERVANCE OF NATIONAL LATINO AIDS AWARENESS DAY

Los Angeles, CA, October 8, 2003 -- AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA) will join community-based organizations, medical clinics and health departments across the country in support of National Latino AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD) on Wednesday, October 15.

The day will begin at 9:00 am with a special breakfast and community gathering of Latino political, government, and community leaders, community service providers, and members of the public at Plazita Olvera in Pueblo de Los Angeles, 533 N. Main Street. Other events will be held during the week of October 12 at Latino organizations across Los Angeles County. HIV counseling, testing, and education will be available at participating sites to Los Angeles County residents regardless of their to ability to pay for these services.

On October 15, local leaders around the country will sponsor a range of activities responding to the state of HIV/AIDS among Latinos in their communities. In the United States, AIDS is the leading cause of death due to disease among male Latinos aged 24-44. Latinos account for 13 percent of the U.S. population and 20 percent of persons living with AIDS. In Los Angeles County, that figure rises to 38 percent.

The epidemic is motivating Latino communities across the country to increase their political voice and to confront issues like drug use and sexuality. Community planning for the HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment needs of Latinos continues to be a challenge for jurisdictions across the country.

APLA is a part of NLAAD’s Los Angeles Planning Committee. Other committee members include the County of Los Angeles - Department of Health Services -Office of AIDS Programs and Policy, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, AltaMed Health Services, Bienestar Human Services, Inc., The Wall/Las Memorias, Watts Healthcare Corporation, City of Long Beach Health Department, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Clinica Msr. Oscar A. Romero, Common Ground, East Los Angeles Women’s Center, Los Angeles Centers for Alcohol and Drug Abuse, L.A. Shanti, and PMW Pharmacy.

AIDS Project Los Angeles, one of the nation’s largest AIDS service organizations, provides direct services to more than 10,000 men, women and children living with HIV and AIDS in Los Angeles County. Services include prevention education, food banks and nutrition education, professional dental care, housing assistance, mental health counseling, and case management. APLA is a leader in the provision of bilingual HIV treatment information, in print and on the Internet, and advocates for effective AIDS-related policies and legislation on the local, state and federal level. For more information, please visit www.apla.org.

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