Newsletter Vol 1. No 8

World AIDS Day

The CDC reminds us that World AIDS Day is an opportunity for every community and individual to honor the more than 32 million people who have died worldwide from AIDS-related illness. December 1 is a day for voices to unite by sharing experiences, remembering those lost, and standing together in the fight against HIV.

Two World Health Organization (WHO) public information officers started World AIDS Day in 1988 as an international day for global health. Since then, it has been observed each year on December 1.

World AIDS Day is a day of solidarity for people around the world who are affected by HIV and for voices to unite by sharing experiences, remembering those lost, and standing together in the fight against HIV. The observance is also reserved as a day to bridge new and effective programs and policies across different sectors around HIV/AIDS.

While great strides have been made since the first known cases of AIDS were reported in 1981, the disease remains a public health challenge. World AIDS Day is an opportunity for individuals and communities to honor the more than 32 million people worldwide who have died from AIDS-related illness.

Every year, United Nations agencies, federal agencies, and societies from across the globe join together to campaign around specific themes related to HIV. To learn more about the History of World AIDS Day and see all the previous themes, visit the UNAIDS World AIDS Day page.

The World Health Organization, WHO, insists that the world can end AIDS – if everyone’s rights are protected. The Who says that with human rights at the center and with communities in the lead, the world can end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

On December 1, the World Health Organization joined partners and communities to commemorate World AIDS Day 2024. This year’s WHO theme is, “Take the rights path: My health, my right!” The WHO is calling on global leaders and citizens to champion the right to health by addressing the inequalities that hinder progress in ending AIDS. 

HIV.gov also informs us that December 1, the world gathered to commemorate World AIDS Day. The annual event serves as an important reminder that we must remain steadfast in our commitment to prevent new HIV infections and provide essential services to all people living with HIV globally. This year we commemorated the 37th World AIDS Day with the theme, “Collective Action: Sustain and Accelerate HIV Progress.”

This theme encapsulates the U.S. government’s dedication to harnessing the significant progress that has been made through global and domestic HIV programs over the last four-plus decades, working to ensure that no communities are left behind. At the same time, we continue to innovate and adapt initiatives based on new scientific advancements, implementation research, and lessons learned from programs in the field.

Examples of this include the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief’s (PEPFAR), the new Action Plan to Address HIV- Service Equity Gaps for Key Populations; the rollout of long-acting, injectable PrEP in the United States and around the world; and a growing focus on addressing structural barriers that impede individuals’ ability to access HIV testing, prevention tools, and treatment in the United States, such as lack of housing and mental health and substance use disorders services.

This past summer at the International AIDS Conference (AIDS: 2024), we heard very promising results of the PURPOSE 1 study, confirming that twice-yearly injectable Lenacapavir is effective in HIV prevention for women and new evidence on the safety of long-acting Cabotegravir for HIV prevention in pregnancy. We were thrilled when the results of the PURPOSE 2 research study provided confirmation of Lenacapavir’s efficacy and safety for cisgender men, transgender men, transgender women, and gender non-binary individuals who have sex with partners assigned male at birth. The findings indicated its superiority to a daily PrEP pill. The community of researchers, people with lived experience, frontline health workers, and other partners experienced a collective sense of hope and determination that together, we can end HIV/AIDS as a public health threat. However, there was also a tremendous sense of urgency that without an acceleration of our collective efforts and resources, we would jeopardize our gains in the HIV response.

We must continue to remind everyone that HIV remains an urgent health security issue that starts with listening to and centering those with HIV and expanding our partners in the response.

“Together, we can achieve the UNAIDS 95-95-95 HIV testing, treatment, and viral suppression targets,” said Ambassador Dr. John Nkengasong, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Senior Bureau Official for Global Health Security and Diplomacy, said, adding, “To accelerate progress to achieve these targets, we must sustain the gains PEPFAR already has made in the last 21 years in providing lifesaving treatment and preventing HIV infections around the world while continuing to foster the transformative partnerships and shared responsibility for collective action.”

Reinforcing our theme for World AIDS Day, Admiral Rachel L. Levine, MD, Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services noted, “We must all come together to remember the millions of people we have lost to HIV/AIDS. In their memory, we know we must take collective action to continually improve, resource, and further the reach of programs to the communities most and disproportionately impacted by HIV.”

We are stronger together, and we must sustain and accelerate our efforts to address HIV and its co-occurring conditions, such as syphilis and other sexually transmitted infections, mpox, mental health and substance use disorders, and hepatitis. The progress we have achieved thus far is a testament to the power of community action. Governments, communities, civil society, advocates, faith-based communities, and public and private organizations have all played crucial roles in our shared goal to save lives, challenge stigma and discrimination, and change the course of the HIV pandemic.

The federal government continues to work with communities and people with lived experience to enhance funding and research opportunities, implement best practices, and address barriers and gaps. Through this approach, PEPFAR has saved more than 25 million lives and enabled more than 5.5 million babies to be born HIV-free across 55 countries around the world since its inception in 2003. In fiscal year 2023, PEPFAR supported nearly 20.5 million people on lifesaving treatment and enrolled nearly 2 million people on PrEP.

Here in the U.S., HIV incidence among people ages 13 and older has declined 21% in jurisdictions receiving Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. (EHE) initiative funding, as compared to 12% in the nation overall. EHE has saved over $5.1 billion in lifetime medical costs due to the 9,500 fewer HIV infections in EHE jurisdictions in 2022 compared to 2017.

The White House Office of National AIDS Policy has held several convenings to raise awareness about HIV, including ¡Adelante! Summit and the Rising Leaders’ Summit, which brought together early career professionals from diverse backgrounds—across race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, academic disciplines, and geography. These combined efforts continue to push our work forward. The Biden-Harris Administration also remains dedicated to ongoing implementation of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy utilizing a whole-of-government approach.

On this World AIDS Day, let us renew our commitment to united action. Let us honor the lives lost, celebrate the progress made, and work tirelessly to ensure a future free from HIV. Together, we are stronger and, together, we will succeed. We know that only by working collaboratively with communities most affected, researchers, healthcare providers, and other partners can our government be successful in ending the pandemic and ensuring a sustained response to HIV.

We at Inspire urge you to remember and protect yourself from exposure and infection. And, if you would like to talk about it, to call Inspire and schedule an appointment to speak with one of our therapists.