WE>AIDS

About

THE MESSAGE

Simple and to the point, the central message behind the campaign is to remind us that as Black Americans we are greater than any challenge we have ever faced, and that we too are Greater Than AIDS. By each and every one of us doing our part - for to do nothing is to be part of the problem - we can reverse the course of this epidemic. Change is possible through our actions as individuals, families and communities:

• Be informed
• Speak openly

• Use condoms
• Act with respect

• Get tested - and treated as needed
• Get involved

The campaign also speaks to underlying factors that fuel the AIDS epidemic, such as fear, ignorance, and apathy. By allowing these things to thrive, we allow HIV to continue to spread.

THE NEED

Today in the United States, more than half a million Black Americans are living with HIV/AIDS - far surpassing any other racial or ethnic group. From the outset, Blacks have been disproportionately affected by this disease - accounting for nearly half of all new HIV infections occurring every year in the U.S. while representing just 12 percent of the population.

While AIDS remains a serious disease - indeed a deadly threat, especially for Black Americans who are more likely to die as a result - HIV is preventable. Although no cure yet exists, advances in treatment can dramatically improve and extend the lives of those infected. And by confronting the misconceptions and stigma that keep people from taking actions - such as using protection, reducing numbers of partners, getting tested, accessing treatment, and talking openly - it is within the power of each individual to stop AIDS.

BLACK AIDS MEDIA PARTNERSHIP

Greater Than AIDS is a public information campaign of the Black AIDS Media Partnership (BAMP), a sustained commitment among major U.S. media companies to work together to address the AIDS crisis facing Black Americans. Organized as part of Act Against AIDS, a multi- year effort by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help refocus national attention on the HIV/AIDS crisis in the United States, the Partnership is undertaking a coordinated campaign presented under a common brand - Greater Than AIDS - to reach Black Americans with life-saving information about HIV/AIDS and to confront the stigma surrounding the disease.

The Kaiser Family Foundation - a leader in health policy and communications - is providing strategic direction and day-to-day management for BAMP, as well as overseeing campaign production and helping to support member company commitments. The Black AIDS Institute is also providing strategic leadership, guidance, and technical assistance to BAMP. Other AIDS service organizations as well as the CDC's Act Against AIDS Leadership Initiative, a collaborative of fourteen highly respected and influential organizations serving African American communities, are providing additional counsel and support for community mobilization efforts.