For Immediate Release:	April 9, 2003
For More Information:	Madeleine Burka, Academy for Educational Development, mburka@aed.org, (202)-884-8324
Sponsor Organization:	Academy for Educational Development (AED)
New "Center of Excellence" to be the focal point of its diverse efforts to fight HIV/AIDS.
Washington, D.C., (April 9, 2003)- The Academy for Educational Development (AED) announced today the creation of a new "Center of Excellence" to be the focal point of its diverse efforts to fight HIV/AIDS. "The Center will ensure that AED continues to develop new thinking and strategies to address the pandemic of AIDS," said AED President Stephen F. Moseley. "In the coming year, we will be paying special attention to prevention, which must continue to be the focus of HIV/AIDS funding." For more than 15 years, AED has designed and managed programs to combat HIV/AIDS. Currently, AED is operating HIV/AIDS programs in all 50 U.S. states and 25 countries in Central America, Africa, Asia, and Russia, including Vietnam, Ukraine, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Ghana, Zambia, and Nigeria. Major areas of concentration include: preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS, community prevention planning, workplace education, promoting human rights and reducing stigma, policy development, and nutrition care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS. Frank Beadle de Palomo will serve as vice president and director of the Center. Beadle de Palomo has more than 17 years of experience in HIV/AIDS work with specific expertise in HIV/AIDS prevention policy and care-related issues; minority health, and community mobilization and engagement. He has been with AED since 1995. "AIDS is a workforce issue, an education issue, and a development issue and efforts to stop the spread of the disease should incorporate a multisectoral approach," said Beadle de Palomo. "AED's experience in diverse sectors gives us a unique perspective on this." Founded in 1961, AED-the Academy for Educational Development-is one of the world's foremost nonprofit human and social development organizations. AED operates 250 programs to help individuals and communities improve their education, health, environment, and economic opportunities in more than 80 countries and all 50 U.S. states.