CNN’s Anderson Cooper, center, with, from left, AIDS Arms’ Nadia Molina, Mychael Patterson, Whitney Hynes and Kali Eszlinger

J.P. Cano

Several HIV/AIDS agencies from North Texas sent delegations to the International AIDS Conference that is being held in Washington, D.C. this week.

This marks the first time the conference is being held in the U.S. A ban on travel to this country by people with HIV that began in 1987 under the Reagan administration was lifted in 2010 by the Obama administration.

AIDS Arms has a delegation of 15 HIV prevention, medical care and health navigation professionals and a volunteer at the conference. The conference has more than a week of activities, marches, trainings, research presentations and networking opportunities, with thousands of professionals and HIV-positive individuals from around the world who work in the HIV field.

AIDS Arms’ delegation includes Drs. Gene Voskuhl and John Martin, Physician Assistant Alem Bayyan, HIV/STD Prevention Director Darriane Martin and her team, Joi Anene, Alexander Ortega and Ashley Innes, and its prison re-entry Director Daron Kirven and his team, Lisa Waitmon-Moses, Mychael Patterson, Nadia Molina, Allison Boyd and Edward Jones. Whitney Hynes, AAI’s Substance Abuse Health Navigator, and volunteer, Kali Eszlinger, complete the team.

Don Maison from AIDS Services Dallas is attending the conference as is J.P. Cano from Resource Center Dallas.

Cano, coordinator at RCD’s Nelson-Tebedo Community Clinic, is one of 20 people from across the U.S. selected as a member of the AIDS 2012 Embajadores (Ambassadors) program, part of the “Mobilizing Latino/Hispanic Communities” initiative at the 19th International AIDS conference. The program identifies, mobilizes and supports the next generation of Latino/Hispanic leaders in the HIV/AIDS field.

The Afiya Center in South Dallas was selected to participate in the Global Village, which will be open to all conference participants. Women served by the organization will showcase their Living Positively Positive project, which focuses on improving health outcomes for women living with HIV/AIDS and those at greatest risk of becoming infected.

Executive Director Marsha Jones said, “The Afiya Center is extremely proud and honored that our activity was chosen to be part of theAIDS 2012 program.”