[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 233 (Wednesday, December 4, 2019)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 66285-66286]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-26285]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 84 , No. 233 / Wednesday, December 4, 2019 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 66285]]


                Proclamation 9970 of November 27, 2019

                
World AIDS Day, 2019

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Our Nation unites on World AIDS Day to show support for 
                people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) 
                and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). We also 
                pause to solemnly remember those worldwide who have 
                lost their lives to HIV and AIDS-related illnesses. As 
                we mourn this tragic loss of life, we acknowledge the 
                remarkable advancements in medical care, treatment, 
                acceptance, and understanding surrounding the virus. 
                While admirable progress has been made, it is not 
                enough, and we must continue to work toward a vaccine 
                and a cure. Today, we reaffirm our commitment to 
                control this disease as a public health threat and end 
                its devastating impact on families and communities 
                worldwide.

                Approximately 1.1 million people in the United States 
                and 38 million around the world are living with HIV. 
                While we have made tremendous strides through American 
                ingenuity and innovation in combatting HIV/AIDS over 
                more than three decades, infections unfortunately 
                persist. Thankfully, due to the availability of 
                antiretroviral therapy, HIV is now considered a 
                manageable chronic condition rather than a fatal 
                diagnosis. New laboratory and epidemiological 
                techniques allow us to identify where HIV infections 
                are spreading most rapidly so health officials can 
                respond with resources to stop the further spread of 
                new infections. Proven interventions, including pre-
                exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and syringe services 
                programs, are assisting in preventing new HIV 
                transmissions. Still, a combination of prevention and 
                treatment approaches is needed to integrate and 
                implement our most effective biomedical and socio-
                behavioral tools. In addition, increased efforts are 
                necessary to reach those populations disproportionately 
                affected by HIV.

                To strengthen our response to the HIV/AIDS crisis, my 
                Administration launched an unprecedented initiative, 
                Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America, to 
                eliminate at least 90 percent of new HIV infections in 
                the United States within 10 years by focusing on 
                diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and response. Through 
                this initiative, we will continue to lead the charge in 
                applying the latest science to better diagnose, treat, 
                care for, and save the lives of individuals living with 
                HIV by focusing on the cities and States most impacted 
                by the disease. The Department of Health and Human 
                Services is coordinating this cross-agency initiative 
                to include efforts from the Centers for Disease Control 
                and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the 
                Health Resources and Services Administration, and the 
                Indian Health Service to bring us closer than ever to 
                ending the HIV epidemic.

                American leadership in the global response to HIV/AIDS 
                is clear and as strong as ever through the President's 
                Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The United 
                States has invested more than $85 billion in the global 
                HIV/AIDS response--the largest commitment made by any 
                nation to address a single disease. Overseen by the 
                Department of State, PEPFAR's life-saving work in more 
                than 50 countries is made possible through our 
                country's unwavering commitment to the program and the 
                American people's compassion and generosity. These 
                efforts have saved more than 18 million lives, 
                prevented millions of new HIV infections, and moved the 
                HIV/AIDS pandemic from crisis toward control--community 
                by community. Several

[[Page 66286]]

                PEPFAR-supported countries have either approached or 
                exceeded targets for HIV/AIDS epidemic control, putting 
                them on pace to reach this critical milestone by 2020. 
                For millions of men, women, and children around the 
                world, PEPFAR has replaced death and despair with 
                vibrant life and hope.

                On World AIDS Day, we are reminded that no challenge 
                can defeat the unyielding American spirit. As a Nation, 
                we must come together to remove the stigma surrounding 
                HIV and to address disparities facing people living 
                with this disease. Our success is contingent upon 
                collaboration across all levels of government here in 
                the United States and around the world, community 
                interaction and outreach to people with HIV and at-risk 
                populations, and a citizenry motivated by compassion 
                for the suffering of humankind and hope for the future. 
                Together, we will continue to make progress in our 
                efforts to find a cure for HIV/AIDS and to ensure that 
                all Americans live healthier and happier lives.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the 
                United States, do hereby proclaim December 1, 2019, as 
                World AIDS Day. I urge the Governors of the States and 
                the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, officials of the other 
                territories subject to the jurisdiction of the United 
                States, and all Americans to join me in appropriate 
                activities to remember those who have lost their lives 
                to AIDS and to provide support and compassion to those 
                living with HIV.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                twenty-seventh day of November, in the year of our Lord 
                two thousand nineteen, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                fourth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2019-26285
Filed 12-3-19; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3295-F0-P