Today is World AIDS Day. December 1st is dedicated to raising awareness of the global pandemic caused by the HIV infection. World-wide AIDS has killed 25 million people. And despite recent improved access to care and treatment the virus claimed an estimated 3.1 million lives last year. In Florida thousands of people are infected with HIV. Scott Tims is the HIV/ AIDS Coordinator for the Collier County Health Department – he says outreach is the key to fighting the epidemic.

“I think in Collier County we have a huge racial and ethnic disparity. We have one in fifty-five Blacks, one in 366 Hispanics and 1 in 1140 Whites who are infected with the disease. So of course because we know we have higher infection rates in Black and Hispanic Communities we tend to go to those communities more often.”

Kim says there are 12 hundred reported cases of HIV in Collier
This year’s theme for World AIDS Day – is Stop Aids/Keep the Promise. A remembrance – featuring art-work by Collier County teens will be held tonight from 6:00 to 8:30 at the River Park Community Center in Naples.