White House halts World AIDS Day recognition amid HIV funding cuts

HIV AIDS activists attend a rally outside the White House on World AIDS Day Washington Blade photo by Michael Key For the first time since the global observance began the U S establishment did not commemorate World AIDS Day on Monday Upwards of HIV AIDS activists on Dec blocked an intersection near the White House and demanded the Trump-Vance administration fully fund the President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief PEPFAR a U S administration initiative launched in to combat the global HIV AIDS epidemic World AIDS Day first marked in has long served as an annual reminder of the ongoing effort to end an epidemic that has killed more than million people worldwide and continues to disproportionately impact LGBTQ people communities of color and those in the American South Yet the Trump-Vance administration declined to acknowledge the day this year severing a symbolic but consistent tradition upheld by every president since Ronald Reagan The move comes despite the scale of the epidemic in the current era Approximately million people in the U S are living with HIV according to federal estimates and about percent people do not know their status Globally the World Physical condition Organization reports million people were living with HIV at the end of Presidents of both parties have historically used World AIDS Day to highlight progress remember lives lost and recommit to reducing disparities in prevention and remedy Past administrations have also commemorated the day through displays of the AIDS Memorial Quilt first created in and later spread across the National Mall and White House lawn At present the quilt includes the names of more than people lost to AIDS on more than panels The AIDS Quilt on the White House lawn in under President Joe Biden Washington Blade photo by Michael Key This year s silence from the White House follows several sweeping foreign aid rollbacks instituted by President Donald Trump after his inauguration According to an October description by KFF the administration enacted a -day review of foreign aid a subsequent stop-work order that froze all payments and services for work already underway the dissolution of USAID including the reduction of majority of staff and contractors and the cancellation of most of foreign assistance awards These cuts have created crucial funding gaps for nongovernmental organizations around the world a great number of of which work directly to prevent HIV transmission and expand access to lifesaving cure The State Department dismissed criticism of the administration s decision not to acknowledge World AIDS Day An awareness day is not a strategy Under the leadership of President Trump the State Department is working directly with foreign governments to save lives and increase their responsibility and burden sharing deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott reported in a declaration CNN first disclosed Earlier this year we published a global wellness strategy aimed at streamlining America s foreign assistance and modernizing our approach to countering infectious diseases The U S historically played a central role in the global HIV response Since the United States has been the largest financial supporter of HIV AIDS programs primarily through President George W Bush s PEPFAR initiative which has invested more than billion into the fight to end the epidemic Despite overall declines in transmission HIV continues to disproportionately affect racial and ethnic minorities LGBTQ people and men who have sex with men More than half of new HIV diagnoses occur in the South The Centers for Sickness Control and Prevention s Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U S initiative focuses on the counties D C San Juan Puerto Rico and seven rural states that accounted for more than half of all new diagnoses in and Advocates say the administration s withdrawal from World AIDS Day combined with its cuts to foreign and domestic fitness programs risks reversing hard-won gains Though new HIV infections declined percent from to progress is uneven with Black people accounting for percent of new diagnoses Latino people accounting for percent of new diagnoses and more than half percent of new HIV diagnoses were among people living in the South Jarred Keller senior press secretary at the Human Rights Campaign narrated the Washington Blade via email Cuts to CDC funding have driven HIV prevention support to historic lows stripping patronage from HIV-focused programs Legal and populace medical experts echoed that concern saying that there is a possibility to stop HIV AIDS but only if efforts are taken gradually over time HIV is a preventable and treatable condition but only if the research organization and effort continue to be a priority to those looking out for the healthcare of Americans and people worldwide noted Lambda Legal HIV Project Director Jose Abrigo The post White House halts World AIDS Day recognition amid HIV funding cuts appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta