Sunday, December 1st was World Aids Day and as I readied BCG for our annual Twitter blitz on the cause and researched some facts, I was still greatly saddened by the statistics facing the black community. There is still so much work to be done and as I always say if it affects one of us, it affects all of us. Here in Atlanta Fashion, Arts and Music communities have joined forces in launching an online and offline campaign in observance of World Aids Day 2013. Kickboard Kouture, Party With a Purpose (PWAP) and The Swirl Project collaborate to produce the #Cognizance Campaign. Spanning over five days, #Cognizance kicked off with a social media call-to-action on Worlds Aids Day and will conclude this Friday, December 6th with a cocktails for a cause affair. The #Cognizance awareness soiree will take place on at KRAVE Lounge located at 1100 Crescent Ave Atlanta, GA on December 6, 2013 from 7p-10p.
10 Georgia AIDS & HIV Stats that May Surprise You
Via Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital
Below are 10 AIDS & HIV statistics related specifically to Atlanta and the state of Georgia. Help us build awareness by sharing these stats and encouraging a friend to get tested today.
Georgia is ranked 6th highest in the U.S. for its cumulative reported number of AIDS cases through 2009.
The HIV rate among black women in Atlanta is 5 times higher than the HIV rate among black women nationwide.
As of 2009, in Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb & Douglas counties, there were over 21,000 individuals living with HIV or AIDS.
The CDC provided the state of Georgia with $18,031,264 for HIV prevention programs in 2010.
In 2010, 2037 new HIV cases (not AIDS) were diagnosed in Georgia.
77% of all HIV/AIDS cases diagnosed in Georgia were among African Americans, whoa make up only 31% of the population.
50% of new HIV infections in Georgia occur among youth ages 16-24 years of age.
Georgia ranks among the top 10 nationally for its numbers of AIDS cases and its infection rate.
Nearly 70% of those living with AIDS/HIV in the state of Georgia live in the 28-county metro Atlanta area.
As of 2010, there were over 41,000 people in the state of Georgia living with HIV/AIDS.
If you’re looking for a place to get tested on World AIDS Day, or any time of year, you can use the CDC’s tool to find an HIV/AIDS testing site near you.
Targeting the city of Atlanta’s Young Upwardly-Mobile Professionals (Yuppies), the #Cognizance Campaign was created to cater to a socially active audience. Active online and off, the campaign will encourage digital philanthropist to spread knowledge and pledge their support through the use of the hashtag #Cognizance. With Georgia ranked 6th highest in the U.S. for its cumulative reported number of AIDS cases through 2009 (source Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital), the #Cognizance Campaign founders also wanted to create a point-of-touch event to drive home the message of knowledge, awareness and notice. The #Cognizance soiree will feature a live band, trunk show, live art demos, artistically meaningful displays, social media message sharing stations and unique vendors with proceeds going to PWAP to fund HIV/ AIDS research. If you live in the Atlanta area, red out your calendar this Friday and make plans to attend the Cognizance Awareness Affair (Proceeds collected will be donated to PWAP (501c3) to fund research & awareness efforts for national HIV/AIDS organizations); Click Here to get your tickets!
