Though black Americans account for only 12 percent of the population in the U.S., nearly half of all new HIV infections affect their community.
A new media partnership is looking to change that through a multi-faceted informational campaign that aims to inform black Americans about the spread of HIV.
The Greater Than AIDS partnership will use targeted public service announcements and other integrated news messages in order to develop a sense of community among black Americans with regards combating the threat of HIV infection.
“The sustained collaboration by media to deliver a concise and consistent message creates a powerful opportunity to draw attention about the disproportionate impact of HIV on black America and promote both individual and community-level action,” Dr. Drew E. Altman, president and CEO of the Kaiser Family Foundation, said.
The Kaiser Family Foundation is responsible for both the coordination of commitments from media outlets and production of the campaign. The campaign is being developed by the Black AIDS Media Partnership.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is also taking part through its Act Against AIDS communications program.
Some of the media agencies taking part in the program include: American Urban Radio Networks; AOL Black Voices; CBS Outdoor; Clear Channel Communications; ESSENCE Communications; the National Association of Black-Owned Broadcasters; the National Newspaper Publishers’ Association; and theLoop21.com.
The Greater Than AIDS campaign encourages people to use condoms and to get tested and treated for the disease. The campaign also hopes to create an open, informed and respectful dialogue within the black community about the HIV and AIDS.
According the CDC, through 2007 an estimated 426,003 black Americans have AIDS.
