Black Immigrants and HIV Conference

Please join the Multicultural AIDS Coalition as we host our third conference in the series of four entitled Black Immigrants and HIV. Subsequent conferences focused on Black Communities and HIV, Black Women & Girls and HIV, and Black Gay & Bisexual Men and HIV. For this conference, the MAC is partnering with the National African HIV Initiative (NAHI). NAHI was started in 2006 and consists of a small group of committed health professionals who have formed a national coalition that addresses the increasing HIV rates in African immigrant and refugee communities.

MAC is excited to support the efforts of NAHI to collectively address disparities amongst immigrant and refugee communities. To that end, the Black Immigrants and HIV conference will serve as a follow-up to the New England NAHI Summit held February 8, 2008 in Worcester. We are pleased to present the most up-to-date information and best practices of service delivery to African immigrant and refugee populations.

We need your input on steps to move forward.

Come ready to work, it takes a community to fight this epidemic!

Agenda

9:00a-9:30a         Registration & Continental Breakfast

9:30a-9:45a         Welcome & Opening Remarks

9:45a-10:05a       Epidemiologic Data on HIV Among African Immigrants Nationally and Locally

10:05a-10:35a    Overview of NAHI and Regional Summits

10:35a-11:35a    Examining Current Services for African Immigrants

11:35a-11:45a    Break

11:45a-12:30p    Emerging Challenges

12:30p-1:30p      Lunch

1:30p-4:00p        Engage Participants in Transformative Process

Session 1: Advocacy

Create a national platform that increases the availablity to targeted HIV resources and promortes affirmative policy change and development

Session2: Education & Outreach

Facilitate a learning environment for African immigrants and refugees, service providers. and government officials (local, state, and federal) to increase knowledge of HIV prevention, education and care disparities among the African-born population living in the US.

Session 3: Data Collection, Research, & Evaluation

Development and implementation of culturally competent data collection, research and evaluation mechanisms that accurately reflect the HIV epidemic in the African-born population living in the US

3:50p-4:00p      Evaluation & Closing

Registration Information

Registration fee only - Free

Registration fee with Coninuing Education Credits - $40

CE credits will be available for Nurses and Socal Workers. Application for licensed Mental Health Counselors is pending.

If paying by check, please print the confirmation page and attach it to the check OR indicate the order number and name(s) of attendee(s) on the check. Checks have to be received within 10 days of registering. If not, the registration will be voided. Make checks payable to Multicultural AIDS Coaliltion. 

Online registration ends Friday, June 26, 2009 at 5PM.  Limited on-site registration will be available. 

Conference Planning Committee & NAHI Core Committee:

 Juliet Berk

Amanda Lugg, African Services Committee

Josephine Mogire, MAC- Africans for Improved Access (AFIA) Program

Chioma Nnaji, MAC-Africans for Improved Access (AFIA) Program

Augustus Woyah, MAC-African for Improved Access (AFIA) Program

Victoria Nayiga, Lowell Community Health Center

Stella M. Gran-O'Donnell

Sponsors (To Date):

Multicultural AIDS Coalition, MDPH - Bureau of Infectious Disease Prevention, Response and Services, BPHC Infectious Disease Bureau - State of Emergency Initiative, New England AIDS Education and Training Center, ABCD Health Services, Fenway Health/The Fenway Institute, Harvard University Center for AIDS Research, Abbott, and Tibotec.

Transportation

 Parking

Parking is available at 100 Clarendon street garage. The John Hancock Hotel and Conference Center provides validated parking for $27 for up to 10 hours. Please make sure to bring your parking ticket to the conference for vlaidation. Metered street parking is also available.

Hotel Information

Boston Copley Square Courtyard by Marriott

888 Exeter Street, Boston MA 02116

Tel: 617-437-9300

Fax: 617-437-9330

The Boston Copley Square Courtyard by Marriott is providing a special guest room rate to conference participants who place hotel reservatios by Friday, June 19th, 2009. Mention the "Black Immigrants and HIV Conference" and receive the rate of $199.00 plus tax per room. Rate is for single and double occupancy

Directions to Hotel: http://www.courtyardboston.com/Directions/directions.asp