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National HIV/AIDS Aging Awareness Day: There is Hope

On September 18, 2008, the National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day was launched by The AIDS Institute. This day brings awareness to the complex issues related to HIV prevention, care, and treatment for adults fifty years old or older. To continue raising awareness and helping the community, Cempa Community Care joins people and organizations around the world in recognizing this national day. 

People living with HIV/AIDS, who are older than 50, face many complications. Although HIV can be managed like a chronic medical condition, living with HIV still isn’t easy. Significant social stigmas around the disease heighten already challenging medical routines, strict adherence to medications and regular screenings among them. 

There are many challenges that individuals with HIV/AIDS face:

  • The feeling of social isolation can be a heavy burden, especially for those that may feel like there is age-based discrimination in communities among people living with HIV.
  • Many face concerns regarding the uncertainties that aging with HIV brings, such as the role HIV would play as age progresses and if changes could be attributed to general age-related decline or to the virus itself. 
  • According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people living with HIV/AIDS are more likely to deal with cardiovascular disease, lung disease, bone loss, and some cancers. 
  • A sense of burdening others or the healthcare system if there is no longer a feeling of independence. 
  • Fear of HIV-related stigmas and discrimination with healthcare staff and whether they would be equipped to deal with the needs of people with HIV. 

Not only is this taxing physically, but also mentally and emotionally. But there is good news: HIV is no longer a death sentence. With improved access to effective treatments globally, people with HIV are living much longer than ever before. According to the American Clinical and Climatological Association, it is estimated that by 2030, 70% of people living with HIV will be 50 years old or older. 

Fortunately, there are communities and organizations that are here to help. Long-term survivors of HIV/AIDS can receive support and pharmacy services through Cempa Community Care. Cempa offers a wide range of support services that allows individuals with HIV to receive the help and medical attention they need. 

If you or someone you know currently has HIV/AIDs, know that you are not alone. Life may look a little different with HIV, but it’s still a full life to live. Cempa encourages people living with HIV to share their stories and for people not living with HIV to actively fight the stigma and support those around you. 

To view primary care providers and services, please visit: https://cempa.org/cempa-staging-/primary-care/

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Natalie Martin

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Robert Morris

Robert Morris serves as Chief of Staff to the CEO at Cempa Community Care, where he drives organizational alignment, strategic execution, and a mission-driven culture. Since joining Cempa as a Senior Strategic Advisor in June 2025, he has played a pivotal role in shaping the organization’s future-ready structure, advancing leadership development, and guiding operational transformation. 

Robert brings more than 25 years of leadership experience across healthcare, aerospace and defense, utilities, and nonprofit sectors. His career includes senior roles at the Tennessee Valley Authority, where he served as Senior Strategic Advisor, Director of Communications Operations, and Senior Manager of Nuclear Materials, as well as Vice President of Program Management & Supply Chain at AAR Corporation. Throughout his career, he has built a reputation for translating strategy into execution, leading large-scale transformations, and fostering inclusive, high-performing cultures. 

Deeply committed to service, Robert has dedicated his leadership beyond the workplace. He served as Chair of Cempa’s Board of Directors from 2019 to 2025, and has held leadership positions with the American Red Cross, Thrive Alabama, and the City of Huntsville’s Human Relations Commission. He is also a graduate of Leadership Chattanooga and currently serves as President-Elect of the Leadership Chattanooga Alumni Association. 

Morris earned an Executive Bachelor of Business degree from Faulkner University and has completed executive leadership programs with the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce. 

Guided by his personal why—to approach each day with empathy, curiosity, and purpose, cultivating a culture where genuine belonging fuels excellence and empowers everyone to thrive—Robert lives out the Cempa values as a compass for every decision, action, and interaction. Compassion means meeting people with empathy, seeing them fully as they are. Empowerment provides patients and staff with the tools to thrive and grow. Excellence pushes the organization to raise the bar every day. Integrity calls leaders to do the right thing, even when it is difficult. Unity reminds everyone that Cempa is strongest when it stands together. These values are not slogans—they are lived commitments to the community and to every person Robert encounters.