On Monday, Dec. 1, in Flatbush, Brooklyn, Capracare CEO Jean Pierre-Louis joined the Haitian-American Community Coalition (HHC) to mark World AIDS Day with an empowering yet solemn community event offering education, resources, and free, confidential HIV testing.
Observed annually since 1988, World AIDS Day honors the global fight against HIV/AIDS and remembers those lost.
Monday’s ceremony concluded with a symbolic balloon release recognizing the 44.1 million people who have died from the pandemic.
“While we remember those we’ve lost, World AIDS Day is also a call to action,” Pierre-Louis, whose organization provides accessible healthcare and prevention services to communities in Brooklyn and Haiti affected by HIV and AIDS, told Caribbean Life.
Globally, an estimated 1.2 million people were living with HIV in 2022, with about 13 % unaware of their status.
With no cure as of 2025, Pierre-Louis said continued education, testing, and prevention remain essential.
He said the Capracare – HHC event included HIV testing, expert panel discussions on barriers to quality care, and community resources — along with Haitian cuisine sponsored by Rogers Burgers to “encourage learning, connection, and reflection.”
Founded in 2009 to address the lack of prevention services in Haitian communities, Pierre-Louis said Capracare began as a school-based education program and expanded into training local leaders and healthcare workers.
“I believe in building systems so people don’t have to choose between food and medicine,” said Pierre-Louis, who has led major health and relief initiatives in both Haiti and New York.
In 2022 alone, he stated that the organization provided more than 60,000 service encounters across medical care, mental health, disaster relief, and education.
Pierre-Louis said their work has strengthened emergency response systems and supported vulnerable communities for more than 16 years.
He said Brooklyn’s Little Haiti — home to roughly 163,000 Haitian immigrants — continues to be a vital anchor for this work.
“Capracare is Haitian-founded and Haitian-led,” said Pierre-Louis, underscoring the organization’s ability to meet community needs with cultural understanding.
Beyond HIV/AIDS, he said, Capracare is partnering with HHC to support Haitian immigrants navigating culture shock and assimilation.
Pierre-Louis said the organization also assists New Yorkers with chronic conditions by improving access to medical care, nutritious food, transportation, safe housing, and professional development.
Pierre-Louis said World AIDS Day remains a reminder that HIV/AIDS continues to impact communities deeply.
“We must keep striving for education, prevention, and access to quality care,” he said, stating that Capracare and HHC are working to “help amplify access to services, especially the Caribbean communities and communities of color in Brooklyn, rethink, rebuild, and rise.
Dr. Andre Peck of HCC said, “It is amazing how far we have come in terms of medical advancements and changing social attitudes, but the fight is far from over.
“In the meantime, HCC continues to provide education, promote services geared towards prevention, harm-reduction, HIV testing, and connection to care in order to fully end this epidemic,” he added.
On Giving Tuesday, Dec. 2, Pierre-Louis said Capracare was expected to hold a drive to help provide relief to those in Haiti who are in need and affected by Hurricane Melissa.
Visit www.capracare.org to make a donation to their mission in Haiti and throughout New York City.
Also, visit www.hccinc.org to support HIV testing in New York City.
