Secretary Azar Statement on World AIDS Day

Cross-posted from HHS Press Office

On the occasion of the 32nd annual World AIDS Day, December 1, 2020, HHS Secretary Alex Azar issued the following statement:

“Even as COVID-19 has exacerbated so many health challenges, the Trump Administration remains deeply committed to the global fight against HIV/AIDS and our goal of ending the HIV epidemic in America by 2030. This year, the HIV community has come together in remarkable and courageous ways to ensure that treatment and prevention services continue to reach those who need them most. COVID-19 has been a challenge for many living with or at risk for HIV, but the groundbreaking public health work led by the HIV community over the past three decades has helped us fight back against this new threat.

“In 2020, we awarded the first funds to start the implementation of our End the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative in the 57 jurisdictions that account for more than half of new HIV infections in the U.S. each year. By engaging closely with communities most affected by HIV, we can bring this terrible epidemic in America to an end in America within the decade and continue helping more countries around the world bring their epidemics under control.”

Learn more about Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America: https://www.hiv.gov/federal-response/ending-the-hiv-epidemic/overview