Chicago, IL — For the first time in its 15 year history, the U.S. Conference on AIDS (USCA), the largest annual AIDS-related gathering in the country, will come to Chicago. Aimed at increasing the strength and diversity of the community response to HIV/AIDS, USCA brings together over 3,000 caseworkers, care givers, advocates and people living with AIDS to network, exchange the latest information and learn cutting-edge tools to address the challenges posed by this epidemic.
Featured speakers include White House Office of National AIDS Policy Director Jeffrey Crowley, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, Infectious Diseases at HHS Dr. Ronald Valdiserri and Dr. Mary Wakefield from the Health Resources and Services Administration. Dr. Julio Montaner, from the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS will also give a presentation on treatment as prevention, which has received significant attention following HIV Prevention Trials Network study 052. Other conference highlights include Elton John AIDS Foundation Chairman David Furnish, CNN anchor Don Lemon and a screening the new documentary, We Were Here.
WHAT: United States Conference on AIDS
WHERE: Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers
301 East North Water Street
Chicago, IL 60611
WHEN: November 10-13, 2011
WHO: National Minority AIDS Council and USCA Host Committee
The theme of this year's USCA is "Make Change Real: Unite. Speak. Act." and the target population is gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM). Recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates of new HIV infections highlight the continued and persistent impact this epidemic has had on gay men, especially gay men of color. The three populations with the highest rates of infection are White, African American and Latino gay men respectively. Even more troubling, infections among young black gay men rose an alarming 43 percent in 2009.
**A media room will be available to press who wish to attend. To register, please visit NMAC's media registration page athttp://www.nmac.org/index/press-social-media-registration or contact Kyle Murphy at (202) 483-6622 ext. 333. On site registration will also be available in the Media Room located in the conference center.**
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The National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC) represents a coalition of 3,000 faith based and community based organizations as well as AIDS service organizations advocating and delivering HIV/AIDS services in communities of color nationwide. Since 1987, NMAC has developed leadership in communities of color through a variety of advocacy campaigns, public policy education programs, national conferences, research programs, capacity building, technical assistance and trainings, and digital and electronic resource materials. For more information visit www.nmac.org .