East African Gazette
On February 7, AIDS recognizes National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD), a day dedicated to raising awareness of the disproportionate impact of HIV on Black communities and the importance of increasing access to HIV education, testing, treatment, and prevention services.
Black communities in the United States face unique structural and societal barriers to accessing HIV prevention and care services. As a result, HIV has a disproportionate impact on the Black population. In 2021, Black people represented 40% of new HIV diagnoses, despite making up only 13% of the U.S. population. The disparity is clear in HIV prevalence as well—in 2021, 40% of all people living with HIV in the U.S. were Black.