[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 130, 114th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9548 of November 30, 2016

World AIDS Day, 2016

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Thirty-five years ago the first documented cases of AIDS brought about
an era of uncertainty, fear, and discrimination. HIV/AIDS has taken tens
of millions of lives--and far too many people with HIV have struggled to
get the care, treatment, and compassion they deserve. But in the decades
since those first cases, with ingenuity, leadership, research, and
historic investments in evidence-based practices, we have begun to move
toward an era of resilience and hope--and we are closer than ever to
reaching an AIDS-free generation. On World AIDS Day, we join with the
international community to remember those we have lost too soon, reflect
on the tremendous progress we have made in battling this disease, and
carry forward our fight against HIV/AIDS.

By shining a light on this issue and educating more communities about
the importance of testing and treatment, we have saved and improved
lives. Although we have come far in recent decades, our work is not yet
done and the urgency to intervene in this epidemic is critical. In the
United States, more than 1.2 million people are living with HIV. Gay and
bisexual men, transgender people, youth, black and Latino Americans,
people living in the Southern United States, and people who inject drugs
are at a disproportionate risk. People living with HIV can face stigma
and discrimination, creating barriers to prevention and treatment
services.

My Administration has made significant efforts to fight HIV/AIDS,
including by encouraging treatment as prevention, expanding access to
pre-exposure prophylaxis, eliminating waiting lists for medication as

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sistance programs, and working toward a vaccine. Thanks to the
Affordable Care Act, no one can be denied coverage for pre-existing
conditions like HIV, and millions of people can now access quality,
affordable health insurance plans that cover important services like HIV
testing and screening. In 2010, I introduced the first comprehensive
National HIV/AIDS Strategy in the United States, and last year, through
an Executive Order, I updated it to serve as a guiding path to 2020.
This update builds on the primary goals of the original Strategy,
including reducing the number of HIV-infected individuals and HIV-
related health disparities, improving health outcomes for anyone living
with HIV and increasing their access to care, and strengthening our
coordinated national response to this epidemic.
Currently, more than 36 million people, including 1.8 million children,
are living with HIV/AIDS across the globe, and the majority of people
living with HIV reside in low- to middle-income countries. We need to do
more to reach those who are at risk for contracting HIV/AIDS, and the
United States is helping shape the world's response to this crisis and
working alongside the international community to end this epidemic by
2030. We have strengthened and expanded the President's Emergency Plan
for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), with now more than $70 billion invested, to
accelerate our progress and work to control this epidemic with
comprehensive and data-focused efforts. With PEPFAR support for more
than 11 million people on life-saving treatment and through
contributions to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and
Malaria--including a new pledge of more than $4 billion through 2019--
there are now more than 18 million people getting HIV treatment and
care. Because in sub-Saharan Africa young women and adolescent girls are
over eight times more likely to get HIV/AIDS than young men, we launched
a comprehensive prevention program to reduce HIV infections among this
population in 10 sub-Saharan African countries. This summer, PEPFAR
established an innovative investment fund to expand access to quality
HIV/AIDS services for key populations affected by the epidemic and
reduce the stigma and discrimination that persists. We have also helped
prevent millions of new infections worldwide, including in more than 1.5
million babies of HIV-positive mothers who were born free of HIV. By
translating groundbreaking research and scientific tools into action,
for the first time we are seeing early but promising signs of
controlling the spread of HIV.
Accelerating the progress we have made will require sustained commitment
and passion from every sector of society and across every level of
government around the world. A future where no individual has to suffer
from HIV/AIDS is within our reach, and today, we recommit to ensuring
the next generation has the tools they need to continue fighting this
disease. Let us strive to support all people living with HIV/AIDS and
rededicate ourselves to ending this epidemic once and for all. Together,
we can achieve what once seemed impossible and give more people the
chance at a longer, brighter, AIDS-free future.
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, 2016, 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

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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 thirtieth day of
November, in the year of our Lord two thousand sixteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-
first.
BARACK OBAMA