As rays of sunlight beamed into the atrium of the University of Florida College of Medicine-Jacksonville’s Learning Resource Center, Meachum Clarke and True Purpose singing group belted out inspirational tunes to kick off World AIDS Week on Nov. 30. World AIDS Day is recognized on Dec. 1 and 2010 marks the 23rd year of observance, when thousands of local and community based organizations across the nation come together to raise awareness, encourage routine HIV-testing and decrease the continuing stigma associated with HIV/AIDS.
Members of the community attended the event hosted by the University of Florida’s Center for HIV/AIDS Research, Education and Service (UF CARES), which is the only comprehensive, family centered program in North Florida and Southeast Georgia that serves adults, adolescents, children and pregnant women who are infected or affected by HIV. It serves more than 1200 people living with HIV/AIDS each year. The UF CARES goal is to promote the importance of early HIV detection, counseling, referral, treatment and prevention services. Attendees heard patient testimonials on how HIV/AIDS affected their lives.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, AIDS was first recognized in 1981. This disease remains a priority to researchers and physicians who work diligently to end the AIDS epidemic.
Mobeen Rathore, M.D., a professor and chief of the division of pediatric infectious diseases and immunology, and director of UF CARES, said that World AIDS Day has special significance because resources are decreasing.
“We need more advocacy and effort to keep resources available for our patients. Events like these draw attention to this devastating epidemic,” said Rathore. “When I came to Jacksonville in 1991, it struck me how tremendous the needs of the HIV infected population were. We worked to create a system of care that did not exist at the time; since then, we have come a long way in our research efforts and are continuing to improve the care HIV patients receive.”
Executive Director of UF CARES Melissa Scites said the kick-off event also honors those who work tirelessly every day to ensure people living with this disease have resources, care, treatment, dignity and compassion.
Scites said that when she first joined UF CARES more than 10 years ago as a clinical research coordinator, there were few drugs available to treat HIV infected patients, particularly children. Scites explained that the UF CARES program participated in several key clinical trials and that began the shift to more available medications. The HIV transmission rate for infants born to HIV infected mothers was nearly 25 percent at that time and now it is two percent.
“Kids that once weren’t expected to live much beyond school age, now have treatment options to manage their disease and give them hope for a bright future,” she said. “It has been exciting, rewarding and humbling to be part of that change and it is a decision that I’ve never regretted.” Scites said that she is passionate about what she does and believes in time a cure will be found.
More information about UF CARES is available at http://www.hscj.ufl.edu/ufcares/.
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