CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Sunday marks the ninth annual National African-American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, and Charleston Area Medical Center is dedicating the day to educating the public about the dangers of the virus.

The national community mobilization day hopes to promote awareness of and access to services for black people who need HIV testing and treatment initiatives, said Dr. Christine Teague, program director for the CAMC Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program.

Although black people represent only 3 percent of the West Virginia population, statistics show that the group accounts for 30 percent of the state's reported HIV and AIDS cases. Nationally, blacks make up only 13 percent of the total population, but claim 49 percent of the nation's AIDS cases, Teague said.

As the AIDS epidemic among black people continues to rise, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state and local health agencies and black communities have stepped up efforts to address the crisis by increasing citizen awareness and making access to treatment and testing more readily available.