Los Angeles, Nov. 29, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lights will turn red across Los Angeles County, including Los Angeles City Hall and the pylons at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday, December 1^st to commemorate the 31st annual World AIDS Day.

“These lights are seen by millions of people across Los Angeles every night and we hope their shining red will remind those millions of the over 31,000 Los Angelenos we have lost to AIDS and the over 61,000 of our friends and neighbors currently living with HIV/AIDS,” said Craig E. Thompson, CEO of APLA Health. “Los Angeles County has the second largest HIV epidemic in the country and we must continue to educate everyone on how to prevent new infections. With broad access to healthcare, tools like PrEP and PEP, the science of Undetectable = Untransmittable, and the passion of countless advocates we can stop HIV in its track.”

“We have the knowledge and tools to stop HIV in our lifetime; what we need is a real commitment to action,” Thompson continued. “Hopefully people are inspired by these lights to work together as a community to stop HIV and AIDS in our County.”

ABOUT APLA HEALTH: APLA Health’s mission is to achieve healthcare equity and promote well-being for the LGBT and other underserved communities and people living with and affected by HIV. We remain committed to ending the epidemic in our lifetime.  We are a nonprofit, federally qualified health center serving more than 18,000 people annually. We provide 20 different services at 16 locations throughout Los Angeles County, including: medical, dental, behavioral health and HIV specialty care; PrEP counseling and management; health education and HIV prevention; and STD screening and treatment. For people living with HIV, we offer housing support; benefits counseling; home healthcare; and the Vance North Necessities of Life Program food pantries; among several other critically needed services. Additionally, we are leaders in advocating for policy and legislation that positively impacts the LGBT and HIV communities and conduct community-based research on issues affecting the communities we serve. For more information, please visit us ataplahealth.org.