Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Partners with AHF’s Black Leadership AIDS Crisis Coalition

LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#AHF–AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) announced this week that it has formed
a national yearlong partnership with Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
through its Healthy Kappa Healthy Communities Initiatives to promote
HIV/AIDS awareness, testing and treatment throughout the
African-American community.

The Healthy Kappa’s Healthy Communities’ initiative is spearheaded by
the fraternity’s National Health and Wellness Committee led by Dr.
Edward R. Scott, II, D.M.D. The objective of Healthy Kappas Healthy
Communities provides health and wellness information with measurement
tools and metrics for our membership, their families and their
surrounding communities; to educate them on ways to monitor their
personal health status as well as to keep personal health as a priority.

According to Grand Polemarch (CEO) Thomas L. Battles, Jr., “Kappa
Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. will begin embarking upon the partnership
with AIDS Healthcare Foundation by ensuring that each of the twelve (12)
Provinces are represented through the implementation of prevention and
advocacy amongst its membership.”

“It’s the basis for our theme, Leave a Legacy: Build a Future,”
continued Battles. “We aim to presently leave a significant and
indelible mark on communities across the Nation through public service
initiatives now and long afterward.”

With AHF, each Province of Kappa Alpha Psi will sponsor health and
wellness fairs to promote the importance of advocacy, prevention and
testing to include the expansion of the delivery of healthcare and
influence over policy with the aim of saving more lives. Healthy Kappa’s
Healthy Communities Initiative is represented by a Health & Wellness
Coordinator from each of the twelve Provinces (regional) and their
surrounding community resources to spotlight the importance of health in
the bond of fraternity, families and for the community at-large.

“The well-documented statistics that have long shown high rates of new
HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths in the black community absolutely
require an all-hands-on-deck approach to reaching young people and
promoting the life-saving importance of using condoms, being tested
regularly, and undergoing medical care to treat HIV/AIDS and sexually
transmitted diseases,” said Anita Castille, chair of AHF’s Black
Leadership AIDS Crisis Coalition (BLACC) Divine Nine subcommittee.
“Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity has a long, distinguished history of
leadership and service throughout the black community and their
partnership with AHF and BLACC certainly continues this tradition. Our
mutual goal is to positively impact the future of black families and we
are excited to work together to save lives.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
African Americans account for 44% of all people with HIV/AIDS in the
United States, yet only account for 12% of the population. Latinos
account for 21% of all new HIV infections nationwide, yet only represent
16% of the U.S. population. While, the largest percentage (38%) of new
HIV infections are among black males aged 13–24 years, the rate of new
HIV infections among black women is 20x higher than white women and
nearly 5 times that of Hispanic women. Statistics show that HIV-positive
African Americans are the least likely of any race or ethnicity to be
retained in medical care or to be virally suppressed through
anti-retroviral drug therapy and are ten times more likely to die from
AIDS-related complications.

Disproportionately high numbers of HIV/AIDs cases among communities of
color may be caused by several factors, including:

• Lack of access to clinics for care and HIV testing, as well as to
  condoms and safer sex educational opportunities.
• High levels of stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS in these communities
  prevent people from learning their HIV status, or from seeking care
  and speaking honestly with their sexual partners if they know they are
  positive.
• Both society and the healthcare industry have marginalized members of
  these communities both on account of sexual orientation and race,
  blocking essential treatment, care, and education for those who need
  it.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS
organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over
683,000 individuals in 36 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin
America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn
more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org,
find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth
and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare
and Instagram: @aidshealthcare

About BLACC (Black Leadership AIDS Crisis Coalition)

BLACC is an initiative by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation to create a
coalition of African American health advocates and cultural influencers
who will individually promote sexual responsibility and collectively
help combat HIV/AIDS stigma in the African-American community.

By connecting and empowering key leaders in medicine, religion, sports,
politics, business and entertainment to incorporate HIV/STD prevention
and treatment messages into their public lives, ABACT members and
supporters will speak directly to African-American families—and young
people in particular—to provide tailored, audience-appropriate messages
on sexual health and encourage community-wide support of those infected
and affected by HIV/AIDS.

About Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. is an international organization
founded on the campus of Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana on
January 5, 1911. Since its inception, it has trained over 150,000 men,
particularly undergraduates, for leadership roles in their communities
and the attainment of a high degree of excellence in their academic
pursuits. The International Headquarters is located in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania.

Contacts

AIDS Healthcare Foundation:
Christopher Johnson, Associate
Director of Communications
+1.323.960.4846 work
+1.310.880.9913
mobile
christopher.johnson@aidshealth.org
or
Kappa
Alpha Psi:
Spencer Bruce, Interim Executive Director
+1.215.783.5666
sbruce@kappaalphapsi1911.com