BATON ROUGE, La. – November 30, 2020 – In coordination with the Louisiana Department of Health, the City of Baton Rouge and the City of New Orleans are launching Get Loud Louisiana — an awareness campaign and a series of virtual launch events to publicize the three complementary Ending the HIV Epidemic plans. 

The virtual launch events will take place the first week of December, following World AIDS Day, which is observed on December 1st.

The Baton Rouge HIV Summit: Humans of Impeccable Valor-Rewriting Our Story Virtual Summit will be held on December 4, 2020, from 2 p.m.-7 p.m. Participants can register at: https://tinyurl.com/HIVSummit. 

The development of the New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Louisiana Ending the HIV Epidemic Plans is part of the national initiative known as Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America (EHE). According to the CDC, Louisiana ranked 4th in the nation in case rates in 2018, while Baton Rouge ranked 3rd and New Orleans ranked 7th among metropolitan areas. Based upon these case rates, Baton Rouge and New Orleans were included in a group of 57 priority jurisdictions to receive EHE funds from the federal government, which were used to help develop their citywide plans. The three Louisiana plans were developed in a coordinated effort and will work together to address the incidence of HIV, issues surrounding access to care, and HIV-related stigma across the state.

“The state has already made strong progress toward our goal of eliminating new HIV infections and improving access to care for people living with HIV, but there is still more that needs to be done,” said Dr. Courtney Phillips, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health. “By working with our local and community partners, we’ve shed light on the need for people to know their status and know where to be connected with a healthcare professional to assist in their treatment if they are diagnosed with HIV. Initiatives like this allow us to build on the progress we’ve made so far.”

“Residents throughout our parish are affected by HIV — regardless of income, the ZIP code they live in, or their skin color. It is imperative upon community and healthcare leaders to take every action within our purview to end the HIV epidemic,” said Mayor Broome. “Through our work with the Louisiana Department of Health and local community-based organizations, clinics and hospitals, we have made significant progress in this effort, and I am confident our work will continue to create change within our community.” 

To learn more about the Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America (EHE) visit https://www.hiv.gov/federal-response/ending-the-hiv-epidemic/overview

For more information about the Baton Rouge HIV Summit, email Mathilde.Silverberg@la.gov.