Essence Magazine

Mondo Times editors    Boulder, Colorado USA

Posted at 3:24pm on Sunday, June 28th, 2009

Essence Magazine will participate in a new effort to responds to the AIDS crisis in Black America, called "Greater Than AIDS." The magazine covers HIV/AIDS issues every month.

June 25, 2009: Today, leading U.S. media companies announced a new coordinated national campaign to mobilize Black Americans in response to AIDS and promote specific calls-to-action to prevent and reduce the further spread of HIV. Greater Than AIDS - a multi-faceted campaign presented under a common brand that includes targeted public service ads (PSAs) as well as integrated messages in news, entertainment and community content - seeks to strengthen a sense of community among Black Americans in response to HIV/AIDS.

From the outset, AIDS has disproportionately affected Black Americans, who today account for nearly half of new HIV infections in this country, while representing just 12 percent of the population. In some U.S. cities -- notably those with large Black populations -- prevalence rates are considerably higher than the national average. Some 500,000 Black Americans are estimated to be living with HIV today -- and those infected face greater barriers to care and treatment and are more likely to die of AIDS than other racial or ethnic groups.