Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn joined dozens of healthcare providers, elected officials and community organizers Dec. 1 in the Ruth Rothstein CORE Center to commemorate World AIDS Day.
"We want to make sure we remember all of those who died of this dread illness and all of those who are combatting it today," Quinn said. "We also want to commit ourselves to preventing it from afflicting others."
Hosted by the Westside HIV/AIDS Regional Planning Council ( WHARP ) and the Southside HIV/AIDS Resource Providers ( SHARP ) , the 2-hour event began with a memorial program, which included decorating a red ribbon tree, and closed with a rundown of the state's most recent HIV/AIDS-related progress.
Dozens of Chicago's leading AIDS activists stood shoulder-to-shoulder with CORE Center patients as Quinn issued a proclamation declaring Dec. 1, 2011 World AIDS Day in Illinois. He then helped announce the 2011 Quality of Life recipients.
Introduced to the Illinois legislature by state Sen. Jacqueline Collins ( D-16 ) , who emceed the event, the statewide lottery program raises money for HIV education with red ribbon scratch-off tickets. All proceeds benefit HIV organizations working with at-risk groups. To date, the program has raised $3 million.
"It is my belief—barring a cure for HIV and AIDS—education remains our most powerful weapon to combat this pandemic," Collins said.
Fourteen groups with statewide reach were selected to receive the 2011 Quality of Life proceeds. These included: the Chicago Black Gay Men's Caucus, Project VIDA, the AIDS Legal Council, Asian Human Services, the Cook County Department of Health and Hospitals, Brothers Health Collective and the Phoenix Center.
WHARP Chair Beverley Walker-Donley urged the groups to continue their outreach efforts.
"We have to make sure we are continuing to educate people in the community because there are a lot of people we just don't know," she said. "They are clueless. They go out of their house, they go to work or school, and if it really doesn't impact them directly, they go back home and that's it."
Illinois has the 7th highest number of AIDS cases in the nation, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. And of those diagnosed, half are African-American.
Much of Thursday's event focused on how best to target at-risk groups and stem new infections.
"We have for the first time a national strategy that provides guidance and leadership to realize the vision of an AIDS-free generation," CORE Center Executive Director Kathi Braswell said. "Yet in spite of these successes, many persons living with HIV are not in care."
Recent studies have shown that regular use of antiretroviral medications can reduce the risk of HIV transmission by as much as 96.3 percent. Stigma, fear and lack of healthcare access often prevent those who are HIV-positive from taking HIV tests or accessing treatment.
Braswell welcomed guests to pose for photos that will be uploaded to the White House's website in honor of World AIDS Day. Such visibility is an important step toward abating stigma, she said.
Dr. Bechara Choucair, commissioner of the Chicago Dept. of Public Health, addressed transmission reduction by highlighting the Chicago Community Condom Project. On Dec. 1, city employees handed out 10,000 free condoms at train stations and other public places. The project's goal is to distribute an additional 10 million in 2012.
The city of Chicago's most recent surveillance report suggests there are 20,391 people living with HIV in the city, Choucair said. He estimates that an additional 5,000 people are HIV-positive but unaware of their statuses.
CORE Center Chief Operating Officer Robert Weinstein advocated increased HIV testing and welcomed anyone interested to access free, confidential testing at the CORE Center, 2020 W. Harrison St. No appointment is necessary.
"Universal access to HIV and AIDS treatment, prevention and care is a fundamental human right," Gov. Quinn said. "We want to make sure that everybody is in, and nobody is left out when it comes to getting the care they need."
AIDS Foundation of Chicago President/CEO David Ernesto Munar closed the event with personal reflection.
"I've commemorated many World AIDS Days," Munar said, "and they haven't always been a time to be happy. They've been a time for me to remember those I've lost … [ and ] to remember Aug. 16, 1994, when I received my own diagnosis, and how hard that day was—not knowing if there was going to be effective treatment, if there was going to be a future."
"This year I feel kind of hopeful," Munar continued. "We are gathered here with our leadership in the Senate, in the House, with our governor, our county leaders … . The front line in the fight against AIDS starts here. … We have all the tools at our disposal, and we as a society have to make the decisions to invest in education and testing."
Quinn urged those in the room to continue fighting even as budget cuts and legislative roadblocks make progress more difficult.
"The most powerful movements don't come from the top-down," Quinn said. "They bubble up from the grassroots. That's what the civil-rights movement was about, and that's what we're all about."
Notable attendees included: State Rep. Camille Lilly ( D-78 ) ; Chris Brown, assistant commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health's STI/HIV Division; Dr. Mildred Williamson, Illinois Department of Public Health; AIDS Foundation of Chicago Director of Federal Affairs Keith Green; and Illinois Lottery Superintendent Michael Jones.
