Education and Information Program
Improvements in HIV/AIDS treatment, care, and prevention are fundamentally dependent on the education of healthcare providers and the knowledge and awareness of the public. An important extension of amfAR’s research mission is the translation and dissemination of the new knowledge about treatment and prevention that emanates from AIDS research.
HIV and hepatitis C: A dual threat
Hepatitis C infection (HCV) is commonly seen in people with HIV. Now that people are living longer, healthier lives with the help of anti-HIV drugs, the liver diseases caused by HCV have become a significant health concern. In recent years, more than 1,000 physicians, nurses, treatment educators, social workers, and people with HIV/AIDS have participated in amfAR’s educational programs on the management and treatment of hepatitis C for persons co-infected with HIV.
Confronting the meth epidemic
In many parts of the U.S., use of methamphetamine, or meth, has reached epidemic proportions. Since it lowers inhibitions and impairs judgment, meth makes people more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior that can, and does, lead to the transmission of HIV and other diseases. Methamphetamine use thus represents a serious obstacle to HIV prevention and treatment. In New York City, where meth use among gay men has jumped from nine to roughly 20 percent since 2000, amfAR cosponsored a series of community meetings to bring the issue out into the open and to discuss addiction treatment and HIV prevention.
In 2005 and 2007 amfAR cosponsored the National Conference on Methamphetamine, HIV, and Hepatitis in Salt Lake City. The conferences brought together healthcare providers, treatment advocates, public health workers, and law enforcement officers from across the nation to share information and develop effective solutions and services to minimize the impact of methamphetamine addiction.
Harnessing the power of the media
The extent of the public’s knowledge and awareness of AIDS correlates directly with media interest in the epidemic. amfAR works closely with the media to raise the profile of HIV/AIDS, both domestically and internationally, and to help ensure the accuracy of AIDS press coverage.
World AIDS Day
In observance of World AIDS Day, amfAR regularly organizes and co-sponsors high-level symposia to highlight the need for a range of responses to HIV/AIDS among vulnerable populations. Symposia in recent years have explored topics such as HIV prevention among men who have sex with men, women and HIV/AIDS, AIDS and business, and HIV/AIDS in Asia.
Getting the word out
amfAR publishes a wide range of educational materials, maintains an informative website (www.amfar.org), and engages respected public figures, HIV/AIDS scientists, and policy makers in diverse efforts to communicate the Foundation’s message and the need for AIDS research.
Periodicals produced in both print and electronic formats include: amfAR News published twice a year and distributed to 70,000; the quarterly TREAT Asia Report, distributed to an international audience; and a monthly email newsletter distributed to more than 20,000. amfAR also creates and distributes program reports, press releases, and updates on HIV/AIDS research and policy issues, and conducts public service advertising campaigns that are instrumental in building awareness of the persistent threat of HIV/AIDS.
For many years, the amfAR Global Link and Treatment Insider provided important information on international clinical trials and treatment issues for people with HIV/AIDS and health-care professionals. Since detailed information of this kind is now produced by other organizations and is freely available on the internet, the final issue of the Treatment Insider was published in December 2004 and the last edition of the amfAR Global Link was produced on CD-ROM in January 2005.
Many speakers, one voice
amfAR’s public awareness efforts have long benefited from the generous involvement of public figures who donate their time to make appearances at amfAR events and activities that help draw the attention of the media and to speak out in support of AIDS research. The Foundation remains especially grateful for the continuing steadfast support of Founding International Chairman Dame Elizabeth Taylor and Global Fundraising Chairman Sharon Stone.