2nd annual event at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore seeks to reduce rate of AIDS and HIV in region and improve testing and treatment.
|
BALTIMORE (February 9, 2016) - Chase Brexton Health Care aims to raise $120,000 to further expand its HIV testing, awareness, and care programs during the second annual AIDS Walk & Run Baltimore at the Maryland Zoo on Sunday, May 1. "HIV and AIDS remain a major problem in Baltimore and a leading cause of death here," said Amy Tignanelli, Chase Brexton special events coordinator. "We urge people in the community to come out and walk or run - and support this critically important effort to raise funds to expand testing and treatment." Funds raised this year will help furnish two large vans which Chase Brexton will use as mobile HIV testing, education and assistance units. The vehicles will be unveiled at this year's event. "These mobile vans will make an enormous difference in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the Baltimore area," said Ken Ruby, Chase Brexton director of operations for HIV Care Continuum and Social Work Services. "It's crucial that we reach out to people where they live to provide the services they need." According to the CDC, Baltimore's rate of HIV infection is 7.5 times higher than the national average, and the fourth leading cause of death in the city. Baltimore accounts for 41 percent of all new HIV cases in Maryland, and one in six residents have never been tested for the disease. For more than three decades, Chase Brexton has maintained a leading role in battling HIV/AIDS. Now a multi-faceted health center offering a continuum of care to a diverse community, Chase Brexton continues to provide comprehensive HIV-targeted case management services. These services include physical exams; ongoing follow-up visits with patients; diagnostic tests; treatment for patients co-infected with Hepatitis B or C; nutritional assessments and consultations; and intensive patient health education and support for HIV medications. |
