WADESBORO — The Anson County Health Department is participating World HIV/AIDS Awareness Month throughout the month of December.
Thirty-seven million people are living with HIV around the world and 38,500 people get infected with HIV in the US alone each year. In years past, getting infected with HIV may have been a death sentence, but today, millions of people are finding a lifeline in the form of the Ryan White Program.
In August 1990, Congress passed the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act. The program is named after a young boy named Ryan White who was diagnosed with AIDS following a blood transfusion in 1986. White died in April 1990, just a month before his High School graduation.
The Ryan White program provides resources such as medical and dental care, transportation, child care and family services, and housing to 52% of people diagnosed with HIV in the US. It has been a resounding success. Nearly 86 percent of people enrolled in the Ryan White program were viraly suppressed. The national average is just under 60 percent.
The program is offered to residents of Anson County through the Anson County Health Department. Dinikia Savage, BS, MHA is the Public Health Educator at the Anson County Health Department.
“What I do is I go throughout the community and create awareness about different diseases, different things that affect the community. I go to senior centers, day cares, and school systems. I create knowledge and awareness in those places,” said Savage. “I also contribute to the Community Needs Assessment that will be done in 2020 for 2021. It’s during these meeting that the find out 3 priories that are going on in the community today and find ways to tackle or reduce what’s going on.”
Savage has been a part of the Anson County Health Department for a little over two years.
“I came in during the 2016 Community Needs Assessment. Our priories then were childhood obesity, teen pregnancy and STD’s, and heart disease. With that we partner with Atrium Health Anson. Their two priories are childhood obesity and heart disease. As a result of our efforts, teen pregnancy was reduced by 11 percent in 2016.
Savage provides educational sessions at the Anson County Health Department. Students may not be aware they do not need parental consent to receive birth control and knowledge on teen pregnancy and STD’s. Savage is here to help provide that. “I also provide pre-natal classes for young adults and teenagers who are pregnant,” said Savage.
Savage was born in Tacoma, Washington, but grew up in Fayettville as part of a military family. She has a bachelors in public health education.
“It’s a blessing to get a job in a field I went to school for,” said Savage. “I enjoy public health and learning about new things, learning how to help and reduce disease.”
An Anson County resident who has been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS can enter the Ryan White Program by first meeting with a caseworker to see if they meet criteria. They will go for a interview process after which, if they meet the the criteria, they will be entered into the program.
Savage has seen first hand the good the Ryan White program has done for the Anson County Community. “The program helps those living with HIV/AIDS tremendously. These are people who didn’t have care before and now they are getting the services they need. They have a voice as well and can give their opinion on where funding for the program should go.
In order to facilitate these services, Savage attends a number of different meetings each month. At the Community Needs Assessment meetings the members find the areas where they can gain data and those enrolled in the Ryan White program can voice their opinion here. The Membership meetings are used to find members who have HIV who want to become a member in the program. The Quarterly meetings are used to establish where the funding should be distributed, such as housing, dental, transportation, etc.
Half of the members of these committees are made up of volunteers. These volunteers help with fund raising, gather information, and help with the needs assessment. Those wishing to volunteer can sign up at Hab.Hrsa.gov.