[May 07, 2015]

Austin Mayor Douglas Campbell Welcomes AHF and New HIV Treatment Clinic & Prevention Efforts

Austin Mayor Douglas Campbell is pleased to announce that after careful evaluation and consideration, his office, the City of Austin and Dr. William Cooke, Austin's only physician, will be collaborating in an innovative new partnership with AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest non-profit community-based HIV/AIDS medical care provider in the US to address an escalating outbreak of HIV in Austin.

Under the partnership, AHF, which deployed one of its mobile HIV testing vns to Austin three weeks ago and has since been offering free HIV testing and outreach to city residents, will shortly open a free HIV/AIDS treatment clinic in the city. The Foundation will also open an AHF Pharmacy as well as continue providing free HIV testing, outreach and related services in Austin.

Since December 2014, more than 140 individuals in Austin have been diagnosed with HIV, many as a result of intravenous drug use and the sharing of contaminated needles.

"AHF first offered its support earlier this year after learning of the scope of the outbreak in Austin and has been working closely with my office as well as other officials in Indiana on their testing and outreach efforts as well as to develop plans to provide other needed HIV/AIDS services as they may arise," said Mayor Campbell. "I have researched AHF's experience and realize the much needed help the organization brings to those in need. It is an honor for me to announce this new partnership and welcome AHF to the community of Austin today."

AHF currently operates the largest community-based HIV testing program in the nation and last year performed 155,842 free HIV tests here in the US. Worldwide, AHF performed 2,968,179 free HIV tests in 2014 in the 36 countries in which it operates.

Distributed on behalf of City of Austin, Indiana Mayor Douglas Campbell by AHF.

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