[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]
Presidential Documents
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