In a desperate attempt to draw public attention to the AIDS epidemic in communities of color, activists are hosting a conference Saturday in Hempstead to declare a "state of emergency" for Long Island's African-American and Hispanic communities. The most recent state health statistics indicate that minorities represent about half of Long Island's AIDS caseload, which at the end of 2000 included about 3,300 patients each in Suffolk and Nassau counties. The numbers neither include cases diagnosed since then nor those who have HIV but have not developed symptoms of AIDS.

The AIDS activists, who invited local and state officials to the conference, are calling for increased funding for community-based organizations. Many of the organizations say they are overwhelmed by the demand for services. "Federal funding has been flat, and the needs are growing," said Jill Williams, director of the AIDS service program at Five Towns Community Center in Inwood. Activists also expressed concerns about the rising number of young people who have HIV and were likely infected in their teens, as well as the large number of women who acquired HIV through heterosexual contact.

The forum was organized by a coalition of nonprofit organizations that provide services to people with AIDS, including the Five Towns Community Center, the Economic Opportunity Commissions of Suffolk and Nassau counties, the Long Island Minority AIDS Coalition (LIMAC) and Circulo de la Hispanidad, among others. Speakers will include Patricia Funderburk-Ware, executive director of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, and Dr. Marsha Martin, executive director of National AIDS Action.

The forum, which is funded by Abbott Laboratories Inc., will be held from noon to 4 p.m. at the Quality Inn Hotel, 80 Clinton Street in Hempstead.

Back to other CDC news for October 18, 2002

Previous Updates | Search the CDC archive