Tampa Bay Coalition
Posts this in Support and on Behalf of;

Florida AIDS Action & Southern AIDS Coalition

SOUTHERN AIDS COALITION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - September 12, 2003

Media Contacts:
Mary Ann T. Green, Florida AIDS Action
(813) 974-4892 / mgreen@floridaaidsaction.org

Evelyn Foust, North Carolina Division of Public Health
(919) 733-9490 / evelyn.foust@ncmail.net

Kathie Hiers, AIDS Alabama
(205) 324-9822 / kathie@aidsalabama.org

Southern AIDS Conference to Feature Town Hall Meeting

New Orleans - The Southern AIDS Coalition (SAC) will host a Town Hall Meeting on Wednesday, September 17th, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., as part of the second annual Southern AIDS Conference, taking place at the Hyatt Regency, New Orleans, September 17 and 18, 2003.

Dr. Gene Copello, co-chair for the Southern AIDS Coalition and executive director of Florida AIDS Action, will serve as host for this public forum designed to provide Southern AIDS Conference participants the opportunity to openly discuss the impact of HIV/AIDS and STDs in the South, as well as ways to address these challenges.

"The meeting will take place at the close of the first day of the Conference," explains Copello. "After reviewing the Southern States Manifesto, the history of the Southern AIDS Coalition, receiving an introduction to the Policy and Action Plan and partaking in a panel discussion - we want to provide folks with the opportunity to ask questions, voice concerns and generally air their feelings about vital issues in meeting the needs of Southerners living with HIV/AIDS and STDs."

The Conference, organized by the Southern AIDS Coalition, a network of representatives from 14 Southern states and District of Columbia, will bring together community agencies, consumers, State AIDS Directors, ADAP Administrators, as well as federal, state and community partners from: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, DC and West Virginia.

During the two-day event, participants will discuss best practices on prevention, care and advocacy and the new face of AIDS. Additionally, the Coalition will use this forum to introduce the Southern AIDS Coalition's Policy Statements and Advocacy Plan, much of which is based on the Southern States Manifesto - HIV/AIDS and STDs in the South: A Call to Action.

The Manifesto, created by the Southern AIDS/STD Directors Work Group and endorsed by the Southern AIDS Coalition, discusses the disproportionate impact AIDS is having in the South, especially among minorities, as well as the lack of parity in funding, access to services and healthcare infrastructure across the Southeastern United States.

Keynote speakers for the Conference include Jeanne White-Ginder, mother of deceased AIDS advocate Ryan White; Alabama State Senator Laura Hall and Tennessee's Reverend Edwin Sanders, II, two of the South's leading voices on HIV/AIDS.

The Town Hall Meeting will take place on Wednesday, September 17, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans, 500 Poydras Plaza at Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA, as part of the Southern AIDS Conference. The Southern AIDS Conference takes place September 17 & 18th, 2003, at the same location.

For more information, please contact the Southern AIDS Coalition at 813-232-5886 or email SouthernAIDSCoal@aol.com. You may also visit the Coalition's website at www.southernaidscoalition.org.

SOUTHERN AIDS COALITION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - September 10, 2003

Media Contacts:
Mary Ann T. Green, Florida AIDS Action
(813) 974-4892 / mgreen@floridaaidsaction.org

Evelyn Foust, North Carolina Division of Public Health
(919) 733-9490 / evelyn.foust@ncmail.net

Kathie Hiers, AIDS Alabama
(205) 324-9822 / kathie@aidsalabama.org

Jeanne White to Speak During Southern AIDS Conference

The Southern AIDS Coalition (SAC) is pleased to announce that Jeanne White-Ginder will serve as the keynote speaker during the Southern AIDS Conference, taking place September 17-18th in New Orleans.

As the keynote presenter during this conference addressing AIDS/STDs in the South, White-Ginder will discuss her personal experiences and perspectives in dealing with HIV/AIDS. The Florida resident will also address the stigma, complacency and ignorance that still exist with AIDS.

According to Jacque Muther, Grady Infectious Disease Program and SAC steering committee member, "We're pleased Jeanne White-Ginder is able to join us at this critical conference addressing AIDS and STDs in South." He/she continues, "Who better to exemplify the struggles of the past and the work yet to be done, especially among the southern states which remain disproportionately impacted by AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases."

The second annual Southern AIDS Conference will bring together community agencies, consumers, State AIDS Directors, ADAP Administrators, as well as federal, state and community partners from 14 Southern States and the District of Columbia.

During the two-day conference, participants will discuss best practices on prevention, care and advocacy and the new face of AIDS. The Southern AIDS Coalition will also introduce the group's Policy Statements and Advocacy Plan.

The work being conducted at the Conference is largely based on the Southern States Manifesto - HIV/AIDS and STDs in the South: A Call to Action, a document created by the Southern AIDS/STD Directors Work Group and endorsed by the Southern AIDS Coalition. The Manifesto itself discusses the unique issues inherent in the Southern AIDS epidemic, such as:
· The disproportionate number of individuals living in the South affected by HIV/AIDS and STDs
· The inherent funding disparities impacting this region of the nation
· The lack of adequate healthcare infrastructures throughout the Southern states
· The disproportionate number of minorities affected by AIDS and STDs among the Southern states

In addition to Jeanne White-Ginder, the Southern AIDS Conference will also feature presentations by Alabama State Senator Laura Hall and Tennessee's Reverend Edwin Sanders, II, two of the South's leading voices on HIV/AIDS.

The Southern AIDS Coalition is comprised of representatives from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, DC and West Virginia.

The Southern AIDS Conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans, 500 Poydras Plaza, September 17 and 18th, 2003. For more information, please contact the Southern AIDS Coalition at 813-232-5886 or email SouthernAIDSCoal@aol.com . You may also visit the Coalition's website at www.southernaidscoalition.org .

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