News and Alerts

Posted: November 5, 2007

World AIDS Day is December 1, 2007

Sonoma County, CA - December 1, 2007 is World AIDS Day. The Sonoma County Commission on AIDS and a coalition of HIV prevention agencies are planning a number of events during the week leading up to December 1, 2007. The purpose of these events is to increase awareness and educate the community about HIV and AIDS.

The theme for World AIDS Day is "Every day is World AIDS Day." The disease affects all of us. There are effective treatments, but there is still no preventive vaccine and no cure. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend HIV testing as part of every person's health regimen, similar to routine cholesterol or blood pressure checks. Like many other diseases, early detection and treatment can greatly extend the length, and improve the quality, of a person's life. "In Sonoma County we are particularly concerned about women. While the number of new diagnoses of HIV disease in men in Sonoma County has declined recently, this number is holding steady in women. Women comprise 27 percent of the people with HIV disease in the US, and that percentage is growing. Many women believe they are not at risk for the disease, but they may not know they are at risk. Everyone should make an HIV test part of their regular health check up," said Marion Deeds, Chair of the Sonoma County Commission on AIDS.

The Commission's message is: know your HIV status by getting tested, and take precautions to protect yourself and others from HIV transmission. Reach out a helping hand to someone with the disease, whether they are in your neighborhood, or across the ocean. There are many opportunities to get involved locally and globally by joining the Sonoma County Commission on AIDS, volunteering at one of the many local HIV prevention and care agencies or donating to one of the local agencies that are providing hands-on assistance around the world.

Global

In the world, 8 persons are infected with HIV every minute. One of these is a child under age 15.

In the world, every minute 5 people die from HIV or AIDS.

It is estimated that there are 15.2 million AIDS orphans worldwide.

Young persons (age 15-24) accounted for 40 percent of new adult infections in 2006.

Regions with increasing incidence of HIV are East Asia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Sub-saharan Africa

In Sub-saharan Africa, 5 people are infected with HIV every minute. Four people die every minute.

In this region, women are more often infected with HIV compared to men, and additionally bear the burden of caring for those also infected.

The need for Highly Active Antiretroviral Treatment (HAART, or "the cocktail") far overshadows the availability, with only 23 percent of persons needing HAART receiving it.

United States

In the US, someone is newly infected with HIV every 13 minutes. Every 33 minutes, someone dies from HIV or AIDS.

African Americans accounted for 49 percent of new diagnoses in 2005. Women accounted for 26 percent of new diagnoses.

The most recent Sonoma County HIV epidemiology report is available at: www.sonoma-county.org/health/ph/hiv/data.htm

Sonoma County World AIDS Day 2007 events

Tuesday, November 27th

World AIDS Day Resolution
Sonoma County Board of Supervisors
575 Administration Dr., Room 102A
Santa Rosa
8:30 a.m.

Rainbow Cattle Company
16220 Main St
Guerneville
6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Staff from the Russian River Health Center will be there with information on their services as well as HIV/AIDS information. Ten percent of the sales for that day will be donated to local HIV/AIDS organization. In addition, any money that is donated directly by the community, whether it be to make the train go round, or money placed in donation jars will also go to the HIV/AIDS organization.

Wednesday, November 28th

Restoring Hope: Combating HIV and Hunger in Namibia
Sonoma State University, Cooperage
Rohnert Park
4:30 to 6:00 p.m.
Presentation by Mark Netherda, MD and Paula Seitz-Netherda, RN. Project Africa will also be available with project information.

Thursday, November 29th

Dining Out For Life
The 6th Annual event for Food for Thought, the Sonoma County AIDS food bank. Dine out at a participating restaurant and either 25 percent or 50 percent of your food bill will be donated to Food for Thought. More information is available at: www.diningoutforlife.com/home.php?city=10

Friday, November 30th

Sonoma County HIV Testing
Various locations throughout Sonoma County
7:30 a.m. - midnight
Call 707-565-4620 or visit www.sonoma-county.org/health/ph/hiv/testing.htm for locations and more information about HIV testing.

Sonoma County Hepatitis AIDS Risk Reduction Project (SHARP) Syringe Exchange
Syringe Exchange and HIV/HCV Testing
Call 707-544-3295 x342 for information about locations and times.

Saturday, December 1st

Special Display of AIDS Memorial Quilt Panels/Reading of Names
Veterans Hall
Church and First Street
Guerneville
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Opening ceremony is at 9:00 a.m., and the Reading of Names and Bell Choir is at 10:00 a.m. Hosted by MCC of the Redwood Empire. For more information call 707-869-9882 or 707-280-0382, or visit: www.mccre.org

World AIDS Day Mural
The Phoenix Theater
Petaluma
All day
Youth in Petaluma will be painting a World AIDS Day mural at the Phoenix Theater's new innovative art space.

Sonoma County HIV Testing
Various locations throughout Sonoma County
8:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Call 707-565-4620 or visit www.sonoma-county.org/health/ph/hiv/testing.htm for locations and more information about HIV testing.

Angels in America
Rialto Movie Theater
51 Summerfield Road
Santa Rosa
11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Part One, Millennium Approaches
3:00p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Part Two, Perestroika
www.hbo.com/films/angelsinamerica/
Reserve tickets to Angels in America buy calling Face to Face at 544-1581, Food for Thought at 887-1647 or Sunburst Projects at 588-9477. Tickets are free, however donations will be gratefully accepted at the event. Seating is limited at 240.

Coin Buckets
Coin buckets for three AIDS related services in Africa that have connections with Sonoma County at locations throughout Sonoma County:

Project Africa provides substantial and ongoing support to Hope Initiatives, located near Windhoek, Namibia. Hope Initiatives operates two soup kitchens and a bridging school in the Okahandja and Kilamanjaro informal squatter settlements. Ongoing funding from Project Africa purchases meat and vegetables for the soup that is the only daily meal for over 400 people, most of whom are children. Doctors from Sonoma County helped to establish anti-retroviral treatment programs in Namibia for adults and children and continue to have on-going professional relationships with medical providers there. The Pediatric HIV program in Namibia treats more children with HIV, per capita, than any other country in the world.
Global Bridges School Scholarship Fund, Chidamoyo and Rengwe, Zimbabwe/Children's AIDS Food Bank, Katutura, Namibia Funds will provide supplementary feeding for a child receiving antiretroviral treatment in Namibia, and will go toward tuition for a child who has lost one or both parents to AIDS in Zimbabwe.
Hope for Kenya Project, Kangundo, Kenya, is working on providing clean water and training villagers on sanitation. The project also seeks to create sustainable health care in rural areas in the battle to control Malaria, TB, and AIDS/HIV. In 2004 they built a clinic in Kangundo that is providing medical care in this rural area of Kenya, located 80 miles from Nairobi. The clinic treats 30 to 50 people a day with various diseases. Most of the patients are women and children. A large number of villagers in this area had not access to medical facilities and most of them do not get any health training.

Locations:

Copperfields, Santa Rosa
Copperfields, Sebastopol
Redwood Café, Cotati
Sonoma State University
Community Market, Santa Rosa: will have a special World AIDS day table with information.
Food donations will also be accepted for Food for Thought in special collection bin.

Food Drives:
Food drives to benefit Food for Thought - Sonoma County AIDS Food bank at:

Washington Square Safeway, Petaluma, 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Fiesta Market, Sebastopol, 9:30 a.m. -5:00 p.m.
Petaluma Market, 1:00 p.m. -4:00 p.m.
Community Market, Santa Rosa, noon - 4:00 p.m.
Food For Thought, Forestville, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Interfaith Memorial Service
For Spiritual Living
2075 Occidental Road
Santa Rosa
7:00 - 8:00 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.)
This interactive service will focus on the building of an altar to remember those we have lost to AIDS. Bring a photo, a flower, or a memento (that you will take with you when you leave) to place on the altar during the service. Music, recitations, the reading of names and a benediction of universal reflection will serve to personalize the meaning of World AIDS Day and finalize the week's activities in a supportive, caring environment. Please submit names to be read to apatterson@f2f.org, with pronunciation guides if necessary.

Local agencies will be available with information: Drug Abuse Alternatives Center, Positive Images, Sutter Hospice, North Bay Veterans Resource Center, Southwest Community Health Center, Face to Face, Project Africa, MAC Cosmetics, and Women's Health Specialists.

Sunday, December 2nd

World AIDS Day Service/Display of AIDS Memorial Quilt
Veterans Hall
Church and First Street
Guerneville
9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. AIDS Quilt viewing
10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Special Service (Music by River of Praise Choir)
11:30a.m. - Refreshments
Hosted by MCC of the Redwood Empire. For more information, call 707-869-9882, 707-280-0382, or visit www.mccre.org

Thank you to our sponsors: Riley Street Art Supply, Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary, Petaluma Whole Foods, and Zapp and Sons Plumbing.

And thank you to our coalition partners: Center for HIV Prevention and Care, Copperfields Bookstore, Drug Abuse Alternatives Center, Face to Face, Food for Thought, Hospice, KGGV-Thriving with HIV, MAC Cosmetics, Northbay Veterans Resource Center, Positive Images, Riley Street Art Supply, Russian River Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Santa Rosa Community Market, Sonoma County Hepatitis AIDS Risk Reduction Project, Southwest Health Center, Sunburst Projects, Petaluma Safeway Washington Square, Phoenix Theater, and Windsor High School.

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