FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 30, 2006

WESTCHESTER COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO MARK

WORLD AIDS DAY WITH A CONFERENCE

The Westchester County Department of Health will be holding its annual conference on December 13th in observance of World AIDS Day 2006. The conference, entitled “A New Look at Public Health Practice in a Time of Shifting HIV Priorities”, will be held at the Maryknoll Center at 55 Ryder Road in Ossining from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm. The focus of the conference will be to discuss new strategies for increasing access to HIV testing, such as integrating HIV testing into routine primary care so more individuals will know whether or not they are infected with HIV. Those who are aware that they have been infected with HIV are more likely to receive needed care and to take preventive measures to avoid infecting others. However, many with HIV are unaware of their status.

“Westchester County has more residents living with AIDS than any of the 57 counties in New York State, outside of New York City,” said Joshua Lipsman, M.D., J.D., M.P.H., Commissioner of Health for Westchester County. “World AIDS Day is an opportunity to pause and take stock of where we are in the effort to combat AIDS and determine whether priorities need to be reconfigured.”

Westchester County also has the highest number of people living with HIV of any New York county outside of New York City. In terms of percentage of the population, Westchester ranks second highest for the number of people living with AIDS and fourth highest for the number of people living with HIV excluding New York City. There are currently more than 2,200 people living with AIDS in Westchester and more than 900 additional residents reported to be infected with HIV who do not have AIDS. However, it is estimated that these figures represent only about 75 percent of those with HIV. The remaining 25 percent are unaware that they are HIV-infected. Thus, there are a total of over 4,200 people estimated living with AIDS and HIV in Westchester.

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Although there have been new technologies brought to the fight against AIDS, such as a rapid HIV test and new treatments that have slowed the progression of HIV to AIDS, the disease remains an epidemic at large. The World Health Organizations reports that about 40 million people worldwide are living with HIV and the number is continuing to rise in all regions. There is still no cure and no vaccine.

World AIDS Day was established by the World Health Organization on December 1st, 1988 to address the growing pandemic that has now claimed millions of lives. The Westchester County Health Department’s World AIDS Day conference last year drew approximately 170 attendees representing community-based organizations, the medical community, and HIV service providers. A similar number of attendees is expected at this years event, which will be free of charge. Breakfast and lunch will be provided to attendees. Confirmed speakers at the event include Ron Bayer, a professor at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and Bebe Anderson of Lambda Legal, a nationwide civil liberties advocacy group for the LGBT community.

Throughout Westchester, many events are planned to mark World AIDS Day on December 1^st and during the month of December. The following are a few of those events.

Mount Vernon

§ The Mount Vernon Neighborhood Health Center Breakfast, December 1st from 8:00 to 10:00 am at the Mount Vernon Neighborhood Health Center, 107 W. 4th Street in Mount. Vernon. For further information, contact Errol Moodie at (914) 699-7200 x 419.

§ The City of Mount Vernon World AIDS Day Ceremony, December 1st from 11:30 am to12:00 pm in the Mount Vernon City Hall Rotunda (open to the public) at Roosevelt Square. For further information, contact Danielle Scholar at (914) 699-7230.

§ The Mount Vernon AIDS Task Force Luncheon from 1 to 3pm at Grace Baptist Church, 52 S. Sixth Ave., Mount Vernon. By invitation only. For more information, please contact Saba G. Selassie at (914) 667-1010.

§ A Youth Rally presented by the World AIDS Day Youth Council, December 1st from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm at the Mount Vernon Armory, 144 North 5th Ave. For additional information contact Robert Cestone at rcestone@fsw.org or Kafi Patterson at (914) 664-0699 (zayasteens@aol.com).

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Peekskill

§ Hudson River HealthCare, in collaboration with Project W.A.V.E, will be providing:

o Free HIV testing (with incentives) with HIV and AIDS Education presentations on November 30th from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. This will be at 1037 Main Street in Peekskill. For more information, please contact the Genesis Program at (914) 734-8740.

o A commemorative service, “Reflective Memory Celebration,” will be held at the Hudson River HealthCare office at 1037 Main Street in Peekskill on Friday, December 1st from 8:30 am to10:00 am. Light refreshments provided. For more information, please contact the Genesis Program at (914) 734-8740.

Valhalla

§ The Westchester Medical Center will be providing educational materials and information on HIV and AIDS in its main lobby, December 1st from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. This will be followed by a memorial service in the chapel at Macy Pavilion at 2:30 pm. For further information, contact Richard Birchard at (914) 493-1362.

White Plains

§ The Westchester Coalition on Global Poverty and AIDS (WCGPA) is sponsoring an event focusing on AIDS in Africa, December 1st from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. The event will start with a candlelight march from Good Counsel at 52 N. Broadway in White Plains at 6:00 pm and will arrive at the Good Counsel gymnasium. Admission is free and free parking is available. Donations will be accepted and used for needed HIV and AIDS services in Africa. For further information, contact Ron Mitchell (Hope Africa Project NY) at HAPNY@hotmail.com.

§ Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic (PPHP) Professional Training Division presents “Teaching What’s New: 25 Years of HIV/AIDS.” December 1st from 10:00 am to1:00 pm at the PPHP Center at 175 Tarrytown Road in White Plains. The fee is $35. Group discounts are available and pre-registrations required for entrance. Fees include materials and light breakfast. For questions, please contact Stacy Silverstein at (914) 220-1038.

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Yonkers

§ The Yonkers HIV/AIDS Providers’ Task Force Annual World AIDS Day Event will take place on December 1st and will include:

o The Yonkers’ second annual AIDS walk

o The traditional national Names Project Quilt Exhibit

o A play entitled “Between the Seams”

o A performance by the Lincoln High School Choir

o An Interfaith AIDS vigil at St. John's Episcopal Church of Getty Square in Yonkers.

o For further information, contact Henry Wannamaker at (914) 785-8275 or Hector Rodriguez at (914) 963-2626 ext.216.

For more information or to register for the World Aids Day Conference, please contact the Westchester County Department of Health at (914) 813-5266 or email yay1@westchestergov.com. Please also visit the Health Department website at www.westchestgov.com/health.

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