National Minority AIDS Council Building Healthier Communities

On January 6, Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa, announces the death of his son due to AIDS-related complications, in that hope that such openness would fight the stigma of AIDS.

Later that month, on January 21, the CDC expands its 1996 recommendations concerning anti-retroviral, post-exposure prophylaxis for health care workers exposed to HIV to those exposed to the virus through rape, accidents or occasional unsafe sex or drug use. The treatment is set to begin no more than 72 hours after exposure, and last 28 days.

 

The first annual National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day takes place on March 10.

 

On May 19, The Banyan Tree Project coordinates the first annual National Asian and Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.

 

The 2005 HPLS is held in July and takes place in San Francisco, one of the cities hardest hit by the AIDS epidemic since it began.

 

The FDA grants Tentative Approval to Generic AIDS Drug Regimen for Potential Purchase Under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, marking first ever approval of an HIV drug regimen manufactured by a non-U.S.-based generic pharmaceutical company, under the agency's new expedited review process.

 

At a historic and unprecedented joint press conference, the World Health Organization, UNAIDS, the United States Government, and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria announce results of joint efforts to increase the availability of antiretroviral drugs in developing countries. An estimated 700,000 people had been reached by the end of 2004. Ranbaxy becomes first Indian drug manufacturer to gain U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to produce generic antiretroviral for PEPFAR.

 

NMAC's Government Relations and Public Policy Division increases the visibility of the agency on Capitol Hill, helping to hold a public press event with the Campaign to End AIDS in September.

 

The Gulf Coast Region is devastated by Hurricane Katrina on August 29, halting operation of many of the region's AIDS service organizations and leaving PLWH/As without access to their medications. NMAC immediately dedicates itself to the region, employing its broadcast message system, NMAC Lifeline, as a means to distribute information to - and facilitate communication for - those in the impacted areas.

 

The program of USCA, set to take place a few weeks later in Houston, TX, is overhauled. Sessions concerning emergency preparedness and volunteer opportunities to assist Katrina evacuees relocated to Houston, are planned.

 

Unfortunately, the meeting is cancelled due to Hurricane Rita. NMAC holds the Gulf Coast focused-workshops promised at USCA during a special meeting in Washington, DC in October.
The meeting proves to be an extremely emotional experience - some attendees had not seen their coworkers since the disaster had happened. In addition to the personal healing, the organizations also had a chance to discuss their concerns around grant compliance and future funding opportunities with government officials and private funders. Click here to see pictures from the Gulf Coast Region Rebuilding Summit.

 

The image on the left shows Executive Director Paul Kawata standing on the steps outside NMAC's headquarters with attendees from the meeting. These ladies arrived the day after the meeting ended seeking a promise from Kawata and NMAC that they would continue their support of the Gulf Coast.

 

The final NATAF conference convenes, in partnership with NMAC co-sponsors and Mexico's AIDS Program, in Oaxaca, Mexico.

 

On November 21, the UN releases a report noting a decrease in HIV infection rates in some countries; but stresses the number of AIDS cases is still on the rise worldwide. At the end of the year, UNAIDS estimates that 3.1 million had died of AIDS worldwide; the number of people living with the AIDS virus is estimated at 40.3 million.

 

In the U.S. 17,011 people die of AIDS, bringing the total number of AIDS deaths in the country to 550,394. The total number of AIDS diagnoses is estimated at 988,376.

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