Dr. Amy Nunn of Brown University has reached out to Chester City through the Chester City Blog to consider launching her Do One Thing project that promotes HIV testing in high risk neighborhoods.
Has Chester’s clergy reached out to her?
“...what I want to do is change the culture around testing so that everyone gets tested,” said Amy Nunn, a Brown University researcher who studies health disparities and HIV risk and leads the project.
New infections are continuing at 50,000 annually, more than half of them transmitted by people who don’t know they are positive. Testing has become a key prevention strategy.
Philadelphia’s epidemic, for example, is largely heterosexual. Even though the rate of new infections for blacks is nearly 10 times that for whites, most black women don’t think they are at risk.
Since 2010, when she spearheaded a citywide HIV initiative among black clergy, she has conducted more than 100 research interviews with African American leaders, exploring how to mobilize a community to fight a disease.
Click HERE for the complete Inquirer article
We need that IVY league connect for the city! Pls people in power, utilize this opportunity, or at least check it out.
ReplyDeleteThat would be a good thing for the city...but the people who don't get tested still won't get tested....there are a lot of closed minded people in this city...
ReplyDeleteDr. Nunn's program is designed to motivate people to get tested. Some folks just need a nudge. There is no sustained activity like that going on in Chester now.
DeleteI got a chance to visit the International AIDS conference last week. They have all the solutions (except a cure) but suffer from a lack of community buy-in. This post is sort of an example of that. Hopefully someone joins the fight. -Chris R.
ReplyDeleteYou've got to share what you learned. I really wanted to get down there, especially the Global Village.
Deletethe residents of chester should understand that the current health commissioner for the city has no back ground on health issues/not a medical degree she is related to a coucil person currently making 65,000.00 plus a year. and don't live in the city. Ask her do they have testing in delaware. we should all be afraid of any break outs. chester is not ready!!!
ReplyDeleteYou are right she does live in Delaware she move there last October. She does not have any experience in the health field. She is related and worked on the campain of her cusion he is the director of finance. I pray for this city. I am surprised Linder did not give the job to Whitney White. He seems to be bugs bunny he can do everything for Linder. How about the splintering that's going on 7 months into this administration. CRAZY
DeleteHas someone asked the Health Commissioner if the City of Chester is committed to sustained HIV testing?
DeleteI haven't spoken to her personally, but I volunteered at the HIV testing event she held during national testing month and my organization was at a presentation she did last month on HIV in Chester. I know she is working with my ED and from what I gathered,she has been working with Pearl Hall, HHS and the PA Dept of Health to gain funding and support for existing programs and create safe testing opportunities for the MSM population. You should probably have Dr. Nunn call her, she seems open to partnership.
DeleteThis won't cost the tax payers a thing. The problem will be with the clergy.
ReplyDeleteWhat will be the problem with the clergy?
ReplyDeleteDr. Nunn and I had an email exchange discussing the differences in Philadelphia black clergy and Chester black clergy. I explained that in Philadelphia the clergy may still be effective at leading a significant number of people. I don't see that happening in Chester.
DeleteThere was a time when you could count on the clergy to start a movement in our community but those days are long gone since so many people don't go to church and there is such a divide among the churches that do exist.
In Chester, there has to be another entity to sound a rallying cry to get folks tested. It would have to be the barber shops, beauty salons (hair, nails, weave, braids). That's the only place to connect with everyone.
Correct me if I'm wrong.
Heard that an aids house is opening around w 23rd street, feel sorry for them people that place is crazy guns and gangbangers
ReplyDeleteWhy speak in code? Your already anonymous. Who is the health commisioner for people like me who don't know who she is?
ReplyDeleteAids testing in chester is already free!!! PPL just don't want to find out if their infected
ReplyDeleteThat's just the point. Dr. Nunn's program isn't creating new testing centers if they already exist, it's getting people motivated to get tested.
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