For the first time since 1988, the U.S. is not officially commemorating World AIDS Day

"The State Department issued a terse statement last week saying, "an awareness day is not a strategy." The result is that on December 1, the United States is not commemorating World AIDS Day. It's the first time the U.S. has not participated since the World Health Organization created this day in 1988 to remember the millions of people who have died of AIDS-related illnesses and recommit to fighting the epidemic that still claims the lives of more than half a million people each year."

"Then and now President Trump has nothing planned for this year and the State Department has instructed employees not to mark the day. Tommy Pigott, a spokesperson for the State Department, confirmed the decision not to commemorate the day, writing in a statement that the country is "modernizing our approach to countering infectious diseases" and that "under the leadership of President Trump, the State Department is working directly with foreign governments to save lives and increase their responsibility and burden sharing.""

The State Department said "an awareness day is not a strategy," and the United States did not commemorate World AIDS Day on December 1. The absence breaks U.S. participation since WHO created the day in 1988 to remember millions who died of AIDS-related illnesses and to recommit to fighting an epidemic that still claims more than half a million lives annually. Last year President Biden held a White House ceremony with the AIDS Memorial Quilt. The State Department instructed employees not to mark the day. A spokesperson said the country is "modernizing our approach to countering infectious diseases" and working with foreign governments to save lives. Some HIV/AIDS activists protested and expressed frustration. PEPFAR has invested more than $110 billion.

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