White House Honors World AIDS Day 2022

Today is World AIDS Day, and a red ribbon is displayed on the front portico of the White House—a globally recognized emblem of HIV/AIDS awareness. President Biden has also released a videoExit Disclaimer commemorating the day. The Biden-Harris Administration is participating in a variety of activities to honor this important observance. The U.S. Government theme for World AIDS Day 2022 is “Putting Ourselves to the Test: Achieving Equity to End HIV.” The theme highlights the importance of HIV testing and awareness, while emphasizing the Administration’s commitment to lead with equity and to end HIV/AIDS as a public health threat both globally and domestically.

Today, President Biden and his administration honor those who have died due to AIDS-related illnesses, as well as the more than 38 million people around the world with HIV, including more than 1 million people in the United States. The video highlights the Administration’s ongoing dedication to the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. (EHE) initiative, which along with the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) released on World AIDS Day last year, provides a bold vision for dramatically reducing the number new HIV cases by 2030.

Today, President Biden announced the release of the new strategy for the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR),which provides a roadmap to build on the global progress that has been made to prevent infections, provide care, address HIV-related stigma, and end health disparities around the world.

President Biden’s commitment to achieving equity to end HIV was also emphasized in the Proclamation released today, which states: “We still have a hard road ahead, especially in addressing racial and gender gaps in our health systems, which have long driven inequitable HIV outcomes at home and abroad. But as we today honor the 700,000 Americans and 40 million lives lost worldwide to AIDS-related illnesses over the years, we have new hope in our hearts. We finally have the scientific understanding, treatments, and tools to build an AIDS-free future where everyone — no matter who they are, where they come from, or whom they love — can get the care and respect they deserve.”

The White House also released a Fact Sheet highlighting the Biden-Harris Administration’s accomplishments and activities to accelerate domestic HIV efforts, respond to HIV/AIDS globally, address HIV stigma and discrimination, ensure equity, and advance new research.

 Harold Phillips, Director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy, is also hosting a roundtable event today on public-private partnerships, which will highlight opportunities to increase involvement from the private sector in the U.S. response to end the HIV epidemic. The Biden-Harris Administration recognizes that achieving the goals set forth in the NHAS will not be achievable through federal action alone. Public-private partnerships are a critical piece of the whole-of-society response that will be necessary to end HIV. Such partnerships can help accelerate research, expand access to prevention and care, fight stigma, and provide education about HIV.

To learn more about today’s World AIDS Day activities, sign up for HIV.gov’s blog, and follow #WorldAIDSDay on social media.