AIDS Advocates in New York Fight Racial and Economic Disparities
According to data from the Monroe County, New York, health department, 56 percent of men and 65 percent of women diagnosed with HIV in the county in 2006 were African American. However, efforts to address this disproportionately affected group in one Monroe city, Rochester, have seen little success, Rochester newspaper theDemocrat and Chroniclereports (democratandchronicle.com, 3/31).
“It’s devastating,” says Brian Pollard, an HIV-positive volunteer with the poverty-fighting group Action for a Better Community. “With the numbers rising, this is going to be the No. 1 killer for us in the African-American community.”
The Democrat and Chronicle also notes that while federal funding for HIV-related programs has increased in recent years, many nonprofit groups—particularly those focused on minority groups—have encountered difficulties when applying for the funds.
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