The Policy, Advocacy, and Community Engagement team from Prism Health North Texas is headed to Austin for the annual HIV Advocacy Day at the Texas Capitol on Monday, March 27, and interested members of the public are invited to join them.
HIV Advocacy Day occurs in years in which the Texas Legislature is in session, and it is hosted by the PWN Strike Force, a statewide, cross-movement coalition of people living with HIV, allies and aligned organizations who act on behalf of marginalized communities in the state, PRISM officials explained in a press release. Every two years, PWN Strike Force brings these individuals come together to speak with state legislators about important issues facing the HIV community.
PACE Director Januari Fox said, “HIV Advocacy Day at the Capitol is an opportunity for stakeholders from across Texas to come together and educate their elected officials about issues that the community faces to this day. Although we have many tools to address the ongoing crisis, we must ensure all resources are both available and sustainable.
“Advocacy day gives us an opportunity to speak to these matters from a personalized perspective,” said added.
Issues to be discussed this year include: HIV treatment and prevention; HIV education; HIV criminalization; HIV budget/medication access and funding for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP).
The PHNTX PACE Department will provide transportation from Dallas to Austin for the day at no cost for those interested in participating. North Texans may sign up to attend with PHNTX here.
PACE Coordinator Sattie Nyachwaya said, “HIV Advocacy Day is a big opportunity for people who are living with HIV, allies, and stakeholders to amplify the sound they’ve been singing. It’s a chance to use personal storytelling to introduce, remind, and educate lawmakers who hold power that healthcare, reproductive justice, and budgeting are intersectional to HIV.”
