by Nicole Joy
15 months ago: U.S. Henry Cejudo, right, wrestles Colombia’s Fredy Serrano in the 55-kg class of the Pan-American wrestling championship in San Salvador, May 20, 2007. Cejudo won the gold medal.(photo by Edgar Romero)
Coinciding with updated data revealing that Hispanics comprise 22 percent of new HIVAIDS diagnoses in the United States, major global and national sessions are addressing the statistics with new concern.
The figures, released by the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control, fed discussions this month at the International AIDS Conference in Mexico City, which drew 22,000 participants.
Multiple organizations representing U.S. Hispanics joined in presentations on issues impacting the community as they strategized on how to fight AIDS effectively across all borders.
A major U.S. conference on AIDS will follow Sept. 18-21 in Miami Beach, hosted by the National Minority AIDS Council.
The Mexico City sessions, which concluded Aug. 8, ranged from satellite meetings and special youth programs to visual arts exhibitions. A series of presentations covered social and economic factors prevalent in the Latino community.
Dennis deLeón, head of the New York-based Latino Commission on AIDS, related to Weekly Report the many challenges facing those working to confront the AIDS epidemic.
“We hope to share what is happening in other countries through more press coverage—and to see how those countries are coping with care needs,” he said.
DeLeón singled out stigma as a main challenge the Latino population faces. “This stigmatizing process can cut persons with AIDS off from their families’” he said.
“It causes sexually active Hispanics not to get tested for HIV or to delay taking medications until they are presented with an AIDS diagnosis.”
Henry Cejudo
A 24-minute video presentation produced by the Bay Area National Latino AIDS Awareness Day(BANLMD), “A Todos Nos Afecta’” encouraged discussions about HIV/AIDS related stigma and risk behaviors.
It featured interviews with infected individuals in conjunction with telenovela-style dramatizations about Latino immigrant populations in California.
In addition’ the National Latino AIDS Committee of Northern Virginia displayed an exhibit titled “Portraits of Latinos fighting against AIDS in the Washington’ D.C. metropolitan area.”
In other health related news:
As Hispanics grow older, Alzheimer’s poses bigger threat to community
by Virginia Torres
Hispanics with mild to moderate Alzbeimer’s disease experienced major progress in cognition after 12 weeks of treatment with Aricept (donepezil HCI tablets), according to a study released July 30 at the 2008 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.
Approximately 200,000 Hispanics living in the United States today have AD, and by the year 2050 an estimated 1.3 million will have the disease, announced the National Institute on Aging.
Óscar López, professor of neurology at the University of Pittsburgh, is one of the lead investigators in the study, which involved 106 Hispanic men and women at least 50 years old. L6pez has conducted several studies in the clinical diagnosis of AD and vascular dementia.
“This news should serve as a call to action for Hispanic families to watch for early signs of AD among their loved ones and speak with a doctor as soon as possible if symptoms are suspected,” he said.
The research indicates that symptoms of AD in Hispanics show seven years before non-Hispanics, and approximately 40 percent of the cases are undiagnosed and untreated. It adds that: Latinos usually wait three years after having the fi rst symptoms to see a doctor due to language and cultural barriers.
AD is increasing among Latinos because of the growing elderly population, genetics and higher rates in diabetes and hypertension, the study concludes. Hispanic Link.
