HRSA Commemorates World AIDS Day

Content From: Laura Cheever, MD, ScM, Associate Administrator, HIV/AIDS Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services•Published: December 01, 2023•3 min read

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HRSA comes together to honor World AIDS Day 2023. People standing in the shape of a ribbon.

Today, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) honors World AIDS Day (WAD). This day of solidarity honors all people who have been affected by HIV, including the millions of people with HIV in the U.S. and around the world.

The theme for this year’s awareness day, the 35th commemoration, is World AIDS Day 35: Remember and Commit. This message is fitting as we remember those we have lost and come together to emphasize our collective commitment to end the HIV epidemic.

For more than 33 years, HRSA’s Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) has helped provide essential HIV care and treatment to people with HIV in the U.S. New data released today show in 2022:

The RWHAP served nearly 560,000 people with HIV in the U.S., over half of all people with diagnosed HIV in the U.S.
Of these clients receiving HIV medical care, 89.6% were virally suppressed, which means they can live longer and healthier lives without fear of sexually transmitting HIV to their partners.
The percentage of Black/African American clients, Hispanic/Latino clients, and youth and young adult clients receiving care through the program and achieving viral suppression all far exceed overall national viral suppression rates.

This is a public health achievement that few imagined was possible just a few decades ago.

In 2023, RWHAP initiatives and programs supported efforts to reduce HIV health disparities and provide whole-person care, including several Part F Special Projects of National Significance Program and Minority HIV/AIDS Fund initiatives focused on people aging with HIV, telehealth, and supporting people with HIV experiencing unstable housing.

The RWHAP and the HRSA-funded Health Center Program continue to have a vital role in ending the HIV epidemic. As part of the federal Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S.(EHE) initiative, we are committed to finding new ways to get people with HIV diagnosed and connected to care, as well as expanding HIV treatment and prevention efforts.

Recent data from the second year of the initiative show that HRSA EHE-funded providers served nearly 38,000 people either new to care or estimated to be re-engaged in care. We believe a whole person approach to HIV care can eliminate factors that affect a person’s health, which can also reduce barriers to accessing care and combat stigma.

Looking ahead, we will continue to explore innovative strategies and approaches to meet people with HIV where they are, reduce HIV health disparities, and help people with HIV get the care, treatment, and support services they need to optimize their health.

Today, HRSA’s social media on Facebook Exit Disclaimer, X Exit Disclaimer, and Instagram Exit Disclaimer will post several messages that acknowledges WAD and honors the lives of people with HIV and supports people with lived experience in sharing their stories. We invite you to share these messages using the hashtag #HRSAHonorsWAD and join the conversation by posting your own content.