New Birth hosts World AIDS + HIV Awareness Sunday, offering free testing and critical health resources
New Birth Missionary Baptist Church is launching a full-scale community health initiative on Sunday as it hosts World AIDS and HIV Awareness Sunday, offering free HIV testing, on-site screenings, take-home test kits, and education aimed at combating one of Georgia's most persistent public health crises.
The event began at 9:30 a.m. on December 7 and is led by the church's Health Ministry in partnership with several major public-health organizations, including HealthyMD, DeKalb Public Health, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the Black Leadership AIDS Crisis Coalition (BLACC), and AID Atlanta.
Senior Pastor Dr. Jamal Bryant says the focus is simple: reduce stigma, expand care, and meet the community where it is.
"Our responsibility as a church is to help protect the whole person," Bryant said. "Far too many of our brothers and sisters are living with HIV without access to testing, treatment, or the resources they need. WORLD AIDS + HIV AWARENESS Sunday is our commitment to confront stigma, expand access to care, and stand with our community in truth, compassion, and action."
A disproportionate impact on Black and Brown communities
More than 1.2 million people in the U.S. are living with HIV. Federal health leaders estimate 13% don't know their status, leaving barriers to testing and treatment among the most urgent challenges.
Despite making up roughly one-third of the country's population, Black and Hispanic communities account for more than 65% of new HIV diagnoses nationwide—a disparity tied to long-standing inequities in healthcare access, transportation, insurance coverage, and early prevention.
Georgia remains one of the hardest-hit states. Rates of new HIV diagnoses here are nearly twice the national average, with metro Atlanta consistently ranked among the highest-burden regions in the country.
Dr. Bryant says those structural challenges show up every day in the communities New Birth serves.
"Many individuals in minority communities face significant barriers, including limited access to affordable testing, lack of transportation, misinformation, and fear of stigma," he said.
"Meeting the need" through mobile testing and education
To close those gaps, Sunday's event will feature three mobile HIV testing units, free rapid take-home test kits, harm-reduction materials, and confidential counseling.
Attendees will also have access to general wellness screenings and disease-prevention resources offered by partnering organizations.
After worship service, participants can visit the "Ask the Doc" station, where they can anonymously submit sexual-health questions. A licensed medical professional will answer selected questions live, addressing misinformation and reducing stigma through open, medically accurate conversation.
Church leaders say these public-facing forums are essential as southern states continue to experience nearly half of all new HIV infections nationwide.