Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine Launches “Georgia Thrives” Campaign
Georgia Ranks in the Top Five States Nationwide for People Living with HIV.
ATLANTA, GA – December 4, 2023 – In response to the immediate need for more HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention efforts in the Black and African American communities, the Satcher Health Leadership Institute (SHLI) at Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) is launching a campaign specifically tailored to reach Black people and African Americans in Georgia. “Georgia Thrives” aims to address the disproportionate impact of HIV/AIDS on Black and African American people across the state with the motto, “We’re in this together to end this together.”
Research by SHLI has uncovered the following facts about the impact of HIV/AIDS on Black/African Americans in Georgia:
- 1 in 51 people in Atlanta may be infected with HIV/AIDS at any given time.
- In Georgia, the number of Black males living with HIV is 6.1 times that of white males.
- In Georgia, the rate of Black females living with an HIV diagnosis is 11.7 times that of white females.
- Counties in the state of Georgia with the most people living with an HIV/AIDS diagnosis per 100,000 residents: Fulton (1802), Stewart (1618), DeKalb (1442), Dougherty (1115), and Clayton (1049). (Source: SHLI Health Equity Tracker)
“We thrive when we know our status, we thrive when we talk about it, we thrive when we seek support,” said SHLI Director of Population Health Maisha Standifer, PhD, MPH, during the official campaign launch. “Help us eliminate the HIV structural and political barriers across Georgia and the southern US. With your help, we can make a difference.”
SHLI has engaged with more than 4,000 people across Georgia about HIV/AIDS since the beginning of the project, work that will now expand into rural areas such as Stewart and Dougherty counties. Through the Georgia Thrives campaign, SHLI will empower community leaders, support and advocate for people living with HIV/AIDS, and ensure testing and healthcare are accessible to every neighborhood in Georgia.
Learn more about the Georgia Thrives campaign by visiting GeorgiaThrives.org.
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