An Organization Dedicated to Making a Difference in HIV/AIDS Prevention
Oct. 27, 2010 – Universal City, Calif. – Women Organized to Respond to Life-threatening Diseases has won Kaiser Permanente’s 2010 HIV/AIDS Diversity Award. WORLD was recognized along with JoAnne Keatley of the University of California San Francisco and the Life Foundation.
Organizational recipients are recognized for their work in HIV/AIDS prevention and care. Recipients have worked to decrease HIV/AIDS disparities and developed HIV/AIDS care practices or prevention methods that are replicable. They have found effective and impactful HIV/AIDS prevention and/or care strategies to curtail the spiraling rates of HIV infection and AIDS. Furthermore, they are active in their community, collaborating on efforts in HIV/AIDS prevention and care.
WORLD is located in Oakland, Calif., and serves all San Francisco Bay Area counties, particularly Alameda and Contra Costa. WORLD’s programs serve women across California, nationally and internationally. WORLD is committed to raising awareness about the issues that fuel the spread of HIV/AIDS in women such as poverty, gender inequities, racism and incarceration rates. Given this understanding, WORLD recognizes that efforts to combat this epidemic must also address these other issues simultaneously.
“WORLD has had a tremendous impact not only within the Bay Area, but nationally and internationally as well. Their work in HIV/AIDS prevention has impacted the lives of many and will continue to do so for years to come,” said Gayle Tang, senior director of national linguistics & diversity infrastructure management of Kaiser Permanente. “Their willingness to speak openly and passionately about such a controversial issue has helped to reduce the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS and has empowered HIV-positive women around the world.”
In 2008, WORLD launched “The U.S. Positive Women’s Network,” an organization that identifies and cultivates leadership and relationships among HIV-positive women advocates, building capacity for individuals and organizations working with women and HIV and strategically changing public policy.
WORLD seeks to bring women affected by HIV/AIDS together, living up to their motto, “You are not alone!” Having served the Bay Area for nearly 20 years, WORLD has reached numerous women across the globe. Their newsletter has more than 12,000 readers in 88 countries. Their speakers’ bureau has trained more than 200 HIV-positive women and affected allies to address HIV stigma and its impact on access to care and prevention. These speakers have reached almost 15,000 people, including youth, women, providers, policy and legislative leaders.
Representatives from WORLD will receive their award on Friday, Oct. 29, at Kaiser Permanente’s 33rd annual National Diversity Conference in Universal City, Calif.