Black Press USA: Why Ending AIDS in Africa Matters to Black Americans
Djibril Diallo, UNAIDS director of the Regional Support Team for West and Central Africa

“World AIDS Day (December 1) is fast approaching and a recently launched initiative aimed at ending HIV/AIDS, as a public health crisis in Africa, could be a catalyst to trigger discussions about HIV in the African-American and African diaspora communities in the United States. … The Catch-Up Plan [for West and Central Africa] is an 18-month initiative that has been developed to accelerate the AIDS response and prevent a resurgence of the HIV epidemic in the 25-country region. Its focus is on testing, knowing one’s HIV status, treatment, and prevention of mother-to-child transmission … [A]t a time when the global response to HIV is accelerating, millions of people in Western and Central Africa are being left behind. There is a considerable gap when it comes to people knowing their HIV status, and for those who test positive to receive the necessary treatment. The same can be said for the populations most vulnerable to the disease in the United States, as well. … The Catch-Up Plan for West and Central Africa initiative can serve as the entry point for talking about HIV/AIDS and related health issues…” (11/27).