“The Problem Solvers: Cities on the Front Lines of HIV/AIDS,” An Atlantic Forum Presented by M•A•C AIDS Fund and UNAIDS

Washington, D.C. and New York, NY (June 2, 2016)—Those whose work is shaping the world’s response to HIV/AIDS—major city mayors, global health leaders, and advocates—will join together to address pervasive issues of equality and discrimination stemming from the disease for a Monday afternoon event in New York City. “The Problem Solvers: Cities on the Front Lines of HIV/AIDS,” an Atlantic Forum presented by M•A•C AIDS Fund and UNAIDS, will take place on Monday, June 6 at 3:30PM ET at The New York Public Library.

The event is open to press. To be credentialed, please contact The Atlantic’s Sydney Simon (ssimon@theatlantic.com or 202.266.7338).

Through the lens of the role of cities in confronting HIV/AIDS, The Atlantic will ask: from Paris to Kingston to New York City, could the catalyst for universal change start in the city square? Sessions will focus on paths to improving systems for HIV/AIDS education, testing, and treatment; engaging marginalized populations around major health issues; and goal-setting and global leadership.

Speakers participating in the program include:

• Angela Brown Burke, Mayor of Kingston, Jamaica
• Demetre Daskalakis, Assistant Commissioner of the Bureau of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
• Mindy Fullilove, Professor of Clinical Sociomedical Sciences and Psychiatry, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
• Anne Hidalgo*, Mayor of Paris, France
• Micheal Ighodaro, Program and Policy Assistant, AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition
• Vanessa Kerry, Co-Founder and CEO, Seed Global Health
• Annie Lennox*, Singer Songwriter, Activist, and UNAIDS Global Goodwill Ambassador
• Nancy Mahon*, Executive Director, M•A•C AIDS Fund
• Alexandre Mars, Founder and CEO, Epic Foundation
• James Nxumalo, Mayor of Durban, South Africa
• Cara Page, Executive Director, Audre Lorde Project
• Rebecca Rosen, Associate Director for Data Resources and Data Strategy at the Center for Urban Science and Progress, New York University
• Brad Sears, Founding and Executive Director, The Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law
• Michel Sidibé*, Executive Director, UNAIDS
• Matthew Slutsky, Managing Director of Partnerships, change.org

Conversations will be moderated by Alex Wagner, senior editor at The Atlantic, and journalist Indira Lakshmanan. A full agenda will be available in the coming days. For more details about the program, please visit TheAtlantic.com. (Note: An asterisk (*) indicates that a speaker is part of a session produced by the MAC AIDS Fund and UNAIDS, generous supporters of this event. Atlantic editorial has not participated in the programming of this session.)

The event is being held on the occasion of the UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS and the Fast-Track Cities Initiative. Earlier in the day, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Paris Mayor Hidalgo will join UNAIDS and partners to host an event, made possible by the M•A•C AIDS Fund, to advance action in ending the AIDS epidemic in cities by 2030 and achieve UNAIDS Fast-Track targets by 2020. For more information please contact Sophie Barton-Knott bartonknotts@unaids.org or Maripat Finigan maripat@praytellstrategy.com.

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About The Atlantic
Founded in 1857 and today one of the fastest growing media platforms in the industry, The Atlantic has throughout its history championed the power of big ideas and continues to shape global debate across print, digital, events, and video platforms. With its award-winning digital presence TheAtlantic.com and CityLab.com on cities around the world, The Atlantic is a multimedia forum on the most critical issues of our times—from politics, business, urban affairs, and the economy, to technology, arts, and culture. The Atlantic is the 2016 National Magazine of the Year. Bob Cohn is President of The Atlantic.