[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 127, 113th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 9064--NOV. 27, 2013

Proclamation 9064 of November 27, 2013

World AIDS Day, 2013
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Each year on World AIDS Day, we come together as a global community to
fight a devastating pandemic. We remember the friends and loved ones we
have lost, stand with the estimated 35 million people living with HIV/
AIDS, and renew our commitment to preventing the spread of this virus at
home and abroad. If we channel our energy and compassion into science-
based results, an AIDS-free generation is within our reach.
My Administration released the first comprehensive National HIV/AIDS
Strategy in 2010. Since then, we have made significant progress in
strengthening scientific investments, expanding effective HIV/AIDS
education and prevention, and connecting stakeholders in both the public
and private sectors. At the same time, advances in our scientific
understanding have allowed us to better fight this disease. We know now
that by focusing on early detection and treatment, we can both prevent
long-term complications and reduce transmission rates. To build on this
progress, I issued an Executive Order in July establishing the HIV Care
Continuum Initiative, which addresses the gaps in care and prevention,
especially among communities with the greatest HIV burden. And this
November, I signed the HIV Organ Policy Equity Act, lifting the ban on
research into the possibility of organ transplants between people with
HIV.
My Administration remains committed to reducing the stigma and
disparities that fuel this epidemic. Beginning in 2014, the Affordable
Care Act will require health insurance plans to cover HIV testing
without any additional out-of-pocket costs. It will also prohibit
discrimination based on HIV status and eliminate annual benefit caps.
Under this law, we have already expanded Medicaid for working class
Americans and banned lifetime limits on insurance coverage.
Our work to end HIV extends far beyond our borders. This is a global
fight, and America continues to lead. The United States has provided HIV
prevention, treatment, and care to millions around the world, helping to
dramatically reduce new infections and AIDS-related deaths. This year we
celebrate the 10th anniversary of the President's Emergency Plan for
AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a powerful bipartisan effort to turn the tide on
this epidemic. Through PEPFAR, we are making strong global progress and
are on track to achieve the ambitious HIV treatment and prevention
targets I set on World AIDS Day in 2011. Because country ownership and
shared responsibility are vital to a strong and sustained global
response, we launched PEPFAR Country Health Partnerships, an initiative
that will empower our partner countries as they progress toward an AIDS-
free generation. In the next few days, my Administration will host the
Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria's Replenishment
Conference to enlist new partners, leverage American funding, and
increase our collective impact against these diseases. With continued
United States leadership, strong partners, and shared responsibility, we
can realize this historic opportunity.



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We will win this battle, but it is not over yet. In memory of the loved
ones we have lost and on behalf of our family members, friends, and
fellow citizens of the world battling HIV/AIDS, we resolve to carry on
the fight and end stigma and discrimination toward people living with
this disease. At this pivotal moment, let us work together to bring this
pandemic to an end.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, 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, 2013, 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 the American people to join me in
appropriate activities to remember those who have lost their lives to
AIDS and to provide support and comfort to those living with this
disease.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-seventh day
of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
eighth.
BARACK OBAMA