Patti LaBelle is on a mission to help combat the fight against HIV/AIDS.
On Nov. 30, the legendary singer will join Common, JoJo and others in Los Angeles as a part of AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s (AHF) “Keep the Promise” concert. Hosted by actress Rosie Perez, the special event is part of the non-profit organization’s series of global initiatives to take place in commemoration of World AIDS Day (on Dec. 1).
The event will also honor legendary activist and entertainer Harry Belafonte with AHF’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his history of humanitarian work.
Despite the advancements for HIV/AIDS research and treatment, LaBelle ― who’s a known advocate of raising awareness for HIV/AIDS ― wants to encourage everyone not to lose sight of ridding the immunodeficiency virus from the world’s population.
“It’s sort of like the election when we knew Hillary was gonna win and she didn’t because some of us just dropped all thought about having her as president,” she told The Huffington Post. “It’s like if we dropped our thoughts and care about the AIDS epidemic, then more lives will leave this planet. So I’m there to use my voice and celebrity in any way to help it get better.”
Since its inception in 1987, AHF has provided cutting-edge medicine and advocacy to “more than 641,601 people in 36 countries,” making it the largest provider of HIV/AIDS medical care, according to the organization’s site.
And Michael Weinstein, the president of AHF, also hopes the series of events will serve as a “potent reminder” and a “clarion call to action” that the fight against HIV/AIDS isn’t over.
“The irony is that we are the victims of our own success: As the AIDS situation improves, with better treatments and more people being able to access them, the urgency of winning the war against AIDS here in the U.S. and around the globe has diminished,” Weinstein said in a press release for the event.
“As a result, HIV/AIDS is increasingly pitted against other important issues as far as funding as well as for the attention of policy makers,” he added. “It is critical that we continue to speak out through events like KTP in order to remind governments, public health officials and other stakeholders to keep the promise on AIDS and other key public health issues.”
Participants can register to attend “Keep the Promise” 2016 here.
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