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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Wurtzbach named Aid for AIDS Ambassador

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Miss Universe 2015 Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach took another title as HIV Prevention Ambassador for Aid for AIDS, a significant step toward fulfilling her desire to use her voice in influencing the youth and to raise awareness on relevant causes like HIV awareness.

 “I learned so much from Aid for AIDS and I hope to share my knowledge with you. Let’s stop the stigma,” Wurtzbach said after accepting the honor and responsibility from “Aid for AIDS” founder Jesus Aguais at the foundation’s headquarters in New York on Feb. 26. 

Pia Wurtzbach with “Aid for AIDS” founder Jesus Aguais at the foundation’s headquarters in New York

Prior to being named ambassador, Wurtzbach attended a workshop focusing on global statistics, HIV and its relation with the LGBT community and Gender and Sexuality. She was also given a tour of the group’s medicine storage to familiarize her with the advancements HIV and AIDS management.

Wurtzbach is the 6th Miss Universe winner to assume the title as HIV ambassador since 1996 when former Miss Universe owner Donald Trump took the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic as the Miss Universe Organization’s charitable platform. Miss Universe winners had traveled the world to work as global advocate for people with HIV, educate and inspire people to care and engage in effective prevention. 

The New York-based Aid for AIDS, founded in 1996, is a non-profit organization committed to empowering communities at risk of HIV and the population at large, by developing leaders who adopt in comprehensive prevention through access to treatment, advocacy, education and training to improve their quality of life and reduce stigma and discrimination. 

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Besides providing free medication to people with HIV in developing countries who do not have access to treatment, Aid for AIDS provides prevention education, Healthcare Professionals Training Program, Outreach and HIV Testing Program, advocacy to HIV-affected both internationally and in the United States and Case Management Program which provides social services to immigrants with HIV in the Greater New York Area with services ranging from health education, housing, legal services, support groups, referrals, and others.

Aguais, who became an AIDS activist after testing positive for HIV, and now the Executive Director of Aid for AIDS, thanked Wurtzbach and the Miss Universe Organization for their continued partnership. “We have no doubts that Wurtzbach will do a great job. May this long lasting relationship continue yielding amazing results in raising awareness about HIV/AIDS and Human Rights,” Aguais said.

Meanwhile, local health workers and AIDS awareness and prevention advocates have welcomed Wurtzbach’s willingness to become a HIV spokesperson which they believed could help promote HIV prevention, especially, on the aspect of preventive education and communication, that is lacking at present in the country, which has recorded a disturbing 30,356 HIV infections from 1984 to 2015, 80 percent of which were reported in the last five years, based on statistics from the Department of Health.

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