ADVISORY/Experts Available To Discuss AIDS Epidemic, World AIDS Day.

Business Editors

ADVISORY...

--(BUSINESS WIRE)

TOPIC: The United Nations released a report stating approximately 40 million people are infected with HIV around the world and there are no indications HIV/AIDS is diminishing, according to an article by CNN.com. This year, five million people became infected with HIV and three million died. Southern Africa is the region most affected by the disease as one in five adults are living with HIV/AIDS. However, the report also shows China, India, Indonesia and Russia have had dramatic increases in HIV infections and warns prevention measures must be taken now to avoid a similar situation as that in southern Africa. World AIDS Day is Monday, Dec. 1.

EXPERTS: ExpertSource can offer several highly qualified experts to comment on this story:

Richard Zaldivar founded The Wall-Las Memorias Project with the goal of building not only a monument in memory of people who have died of AIDS, but a place where families can go to grieve and heal, and a starting point for talking about issues of health and sexuality that are often denied because of ignorance or shame. Under his leadership, The Wall-Las Memorias has reached out to Latino men who are gay, bisexual, questioning or straight, and parents and mothers who lost children to AIDS. Richard Zaldivar is prepared to discuss the issue of HIV/AIDS in the Latino community in Los Angeles, and the effects of homophobia and racism on HIV infection rates. 323-257-1056 [e-mail] PR Contact: Keith Malone 323-441-0000 [e-mail]

Dr. Eka Esu-Williams runs operations research studies in Zambia and South Africa focusing on youth, workplace, and orphans and other vulnerable children. She also facilitates all technical assistance activity by Horizons to the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund Goelama Project. Before joining the Council, Esu-Williams worked at the University of Calabar and Family Health International's AIDSCAP Project. Esu-Williams received an M.S. in immunology from the University of Birmingham and a Ph.D. in immunology from the University of London. She is a founding member of the Society for Women Against AIDS in Africa (SWAA) and was president from 1991-2001. SWAA is a network of organizations in 30 African countries committed to addressing the social factors that predispose women to HIV infection and to empower women, families, and communities to cope with the impact of HIV/AIDS. Titles of recent articles include: "Gender and HIV/AIDS in Africa--our hope lies in the future;" Predominance of subtype A and G HIV type 1 in Nigeria, with geographical differences in their distribution;" and "The identification of a complex A/G/I/J recombinant HIV type 1 virus in various West African countries." PR Contact: Melissa May 212-339-0525 [e-mail]

Professor Manfred Kuechler, of the City University of New York, Hunter College, Sociology Department, is an expert regarding sociology and AIDS. 212-772-5588 212-772-4000 (University PR Phone)

ExpertSource cannot guarantee the immediate availability of these experts or their familiarity with this specific issue.

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