    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 133, 116th Congress, 1st Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    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-

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    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
    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.
    DONALD J. TRUMP