Dalton, GA – North Georgia Health District’s Living Bridge Center and the Dalton State College Department of Social Work, School of Health Professions will present Recognizing World AIDS Day on Tuesday, December 1, 2015 at 10 A.M.
In honor of all who have passed away due to HIV and AIDS-related conditions and for those who are living with HIV and AIDS, an educational discussion will be held in Room 105 of the Brown Center at Dalton State College that covers the various challenges and advancements in the HIV/AIDS community. Topics will include medical advances in HIV/AIDS treatment, the impact HIV/AIDS has on a person’s mental health and stories of individuals living with HIV/AIDS in the real world.
Speakers at Recognizing World AIDS Day will include Mark Elam, M.D., Elizabeth Dial, MS, LPC, NCC and various persons who are living with HIV.
Dr. Robin Cleeland, Chair of the Dalton State College Department of Social Work, said, “The Dalton State Department of Social Work is pleased to join others in our community and around the globe to honor those who have died as a result of the AIDS epidemic and to support those who are living with HIV and AIDS. Despite advances in treatment, ignorance and stigma about HIV/AIDS still result in unnecessary illness and loss of life. World AIDS Day provides an excellent opportunity to raise awareness concerning HIV/AIDS, to learn more about the illness, and to remind ourselves to be vigilant in protecting ourselves from infection.”
Jeffery Vollman, Director of North Georgia Health District’s HIV Program and the Living Bridge Center, said, “World AIDS Day is the time for the nation as a whole to take the opportunity to remember those who live with HIV/AIDS and those who have passed away from the disease. One in eight people with HIV do not know they have the virus, and sadly, a large number of people in our nation do not know or remember the horrible impact the disease has on a person’s body and the devastation it can bring to one’s family. World AIDS Day is the day to recognize the impact of HIV and to educate any and all on its impact on our collective soul.”
The Recognizing World AIDS Day discussion will be followed by a question and answer period, where participants can ask and receive more information about HIV/AIDS.
Refreshments will be provided.
For more information, contact the Living Bridge Center at (706) 281-2360.