Contact: Shakira Croce (Amida Care), 646-757-7052, scroce@amidacareny.org Jonah Allon (BP Adams), 929-291-8881, jonah.allon@brooklynbp.nyc.gov
Wednesday, October 23: Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams, Amida Care, and National Black Leadership Commission on Health Recognize PrEP Aware Week
Pre-exposure Prophylaxis is a Crucial Component of New York State’s Blueprint to End the HIV/AIDS Epidemic by 2020
Press Conference to raise awareness of PrEP, a highly effective HIV prevention method, and encourage health providers to talk to Brooklynites about PrEP
BROOKLYN, NY (October 21, 2019) – On Wednesday, October 23rd, Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams, Amida Care, and the National Black Leadership Commission on Health (NBLCH) will host a press conference at Brooklyn Borough Hall (209 Joralemon Street) to support and promote the first annual PrEP Aware Week, from October 20 through October 26, organized by the New York State Department of Health’s AIDS Institute.
Events will take place statewide throughout the week to increase PrEP awareness and uptake. PrEP is a game-changing pill that has proven to be 99% effective in preventing HIV transmission.
New York State recently announced that the number of new HIV infections was down 11% from 2017 to 2018. Increasing PrEP usage can reduce that number even further and move us closer to ending the epidemic. Brooklyn bears a disproportionate burden of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, with more than 30,000 people living with HIV. In 2017, Brooklyn experienced 640 new HIV diagnoses, representing a 10.15% increase in new diagnoses from the previous year — making Brooklyn the only borough with an increase.
Most alarmingly, Bedford-Stuyvesant and Crown Heights are among the hardest-hit neighborhoods citywide, accounting for a quarter of new diagnoses in the borough.
Health resources and educational materials about PrEP will be available to the public.
WHO: Eric L. Adams, Brooklyn Borough President C. Virginia Fields, President and CEO, National Black Leadership Commission on Health Doug Wirth, President and CEO, Amida Care Dr. Jeffrey Birnbaum, SUNY Downstate Medical Center Octavia Wheeler, Brooklyn community member
WHAT: Press conference to promote and support PrEP Aware Week in Brooklyn and increase awareness of and interest in PrEP.
WHEN: Wednesday, October 23 12PM
WHERE: Brooklyn Borough Hall 209 Joralemon Street Brooklyn, NY 11201
About the National Black Leadership Commission on Health
The National Black Leadership Commission on Health champions the promotion of health and prevention of diseases to reduce disparities and achieve equity within the black community.
Founded as the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS, NBLCH now has an expanded focus that includes HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, prostate cancer, sickle cell, diabetes and mental health. Championing black health through advocacy, policy and action is the main goal of the newly expanded organization.
About Amida Care
Amida Care Inc. is a not-for-profit health plan that specializes in providing comprehensive health coverage and coordinated care to New Yorkers with complex conditions, including HIV and behavioral health disorders; and people who are of transgender experience or who are homeless, regardless of HIV status.
Amida Care has a wide network of health care providers throughout New York City and is the largest Medicaid Special Needs Health Plan (SNP) in New York State. For more information, visit www.amidacareny.org.
