Free health fair offered Thursday

Missouri Highlands Health Care will host a Regional Health Fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday at the Black River Coliseum.

More than 40 area agencies will participate in the event, including neighboring health departments, home health agencies, medical providers and many other community partners.

The community event is free and open to the public, according to Roger Lawrence, outreach/education coordinator for Missouri Highlands.

“This will be a great day to meet your neighbors and learn what our community care partners have to offer,” Lawrence said.

New Life Christian Church United is sponsoring a mobile food pantry that will serve the first 200 Butler County families who request food assistance. Only one food portion per family will be available, and proof of county residency is required due to SEMO Food Bank regulations.

The health fair is sponsored by Missouri Highlands Healthcare as part of the “Ending the HIV Epidemic Initiative” grant, a federal program from the Department of Health and Human Services, whose goal is to reduce new HIV infections by 75% by 2025 and 90% by 2030.

The Missouri Highlands program provides education, remote and at-home HIV testing, safe sex kits, and educational material regarding PrEP, which is Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, a medication taken to prevent HIV.

Since the emergence of HIV in the 1980s, decades of medical research have resulted in treatments to control the disease as well as prevent it from occurring.

“PrEP is highly effective in preventing HIV when taken as prescribed. It is 97% effective in preventing people from getting HIV from sexual activity, and 74% effective for people who are IV drug users,” Lawrence said.

“HIV doesn’t care if you’re a man or woman or how you identify,” Lawrence continued. “The Centers for Disease Control recommends that all people between the ages of 13 and 64 be tested at least once in their life, but more often if they engage in risky behaviors.”

Anyone with questions about the health fair or the “Ending HIV Initiative” can contact Lawrence at knowyourstatus@mohigh.org.