National African Immigrant and Refugee HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis Awareness Day 2024

Monday, September 9, is National African Immigrant and Refugee HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis Awareness Day (#NAIRHHADay) 2024. This year marks the 10^th anniversary of the event. It is a chance to address HIV, AIDS and hepatitis B inequities among African immigrant communities in the United States and to advocate for resources and funding to foster healthier communities.

This year’s NAIRHHA Day includes a webinar at 4 p.m. ET September 9 titled “Addressing HIV/AIDS & Hepatitis B Inequities among African Immigrant Communities in the US: A Conversation with State and Local Partners.”

The description of the event reads:

“To honor the tenth anniversary of National African Immigrant & Refugee HIV/AIDS & Hepatitis Awareness (NAIRHHA) Day, we are hosting a webinar that will feature a conversation with representatives from state and local health departments from around the country who work in cities and states with the largest communities of African immigrants. Panelists will discuss steps they have taken to center the needs of these communities & what remains to be done to ensure that the serious health disparities of hepatitis B and HIV/AIDS are addressed in a culturally appropriate way for African immigrant communities. We hope you can join us!”

You can register for the webinar via Zoom as wel as via the Facebook post below. And you can download sharable graphics promoting NAIRHHADay in English, French, Amharic, Somali and Swahili on HIV.gov.

For this year’s NAIRHHADay, organizers shared a series of social media posts enumerating 10 things to know about NAIRHHADay on its 10^th anniversary. A sample is posted above; the full list reads:

1. NAIRHHA Day stands for National African Immigrant and Refugee HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis Awareness Day.
   
   
2. It was established to address health inequities experienced by African immigrant communities.
   
   
3. NAIRHHA Day turns 10 years old in 2024!
   
   
4. In 2023, NAIRHHA Day was recognized as a federal HIV awareness day!
   
   
5. NAIRHHA Day highlights the importance of culturally and linguistically appropriate health care.
   
   
6. It supports the development of immigrant-friendly equitable health policies.
   
   
7. NAIRHHA Day centers the voices, experiences and solutions of diverse African immigrant communities.
   
   
8. NAIRHHA Day prioritizes eliminating stigma and discrimination based on HIV, hepatitis B and immigration status.
   
   
9. NAIRHHA Day is part of National African Immigrant Month in the United States.
   
   
10. NAIRHHA Day is endorsed by various government officials and health organizations.

The 2024 10^th anniversary campaign also includes 10 facts to know about Africa, such as “Sierra Leone translates to ‘mountain lion.’” “The father of African film is Ousmane Sembene.” And “Condoms can be traced back several thousand years to around 1000 BC in Egypt.” Another campaign lists 10 ways to celebrate NAIRHHA Day.  Visit NAIRHHADay.org to read more.

NAIRHHA Day is led by the Hepatitis B Foundation, the Africans For Improved Access program at the Multicultural AIDS Coalition and the Coalition Against Hepatitis for People of African Origin (CHIPO).

“We aim to bring both national and local attention to the highly prevalent health issues of HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis in the African immigrant and refugee population in the United States in a way that is culturally and linguistically appropriate,” write the organizers. “NAIRHHA Day provides a way for organizations, communities, families and individuals to:

• Raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis to eliminate stigma;
  
  
• Learn about ways to protect against HIV, viral hepatitis and other related diseases;
  
  
• Take control by encouraging screenings and treatment, including viral hepatitis vaccination;
  
  
• Advocate for policies and practices that promote healthy African immigrant communities, families and individuals.”

 To learn more about other HIV awareness days and to download a calendar y, check out the POZ feature “2024 HIV and AIDS Awareness Days.”

Read More About:

• #Africa
• #awareness
• #hepatitis B
• #Hepatitis B Foundation
• #immigration
• #NAIRHHA