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The U.S. will no longer commemorate World AIDS Day, ending a 35-year tradition. Here’s what the new policy means for HIV/AIDS awareness and global health efforts.
The U.S. will no longer commemorate World AIDS Day, ending a 35-year tradition. Here’s what the new policy means for HIV/AIDS awareness and global health efforts.
For the first time since World AIDS Day was established in 1988, the U.S. government will reportedly no longer formally recognize the annual 1 December observance. According to multiple reports, the State Department has instructed employees and grant-funded partners not to use U.S. government resources to mark or publicly promote the day.
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The shift was first reported by journalist Emily Bass and later confirmed through an internal email reviewed by The New York Times. In the memo, employees and grantees were told they may acknowledge the ongoing work being done to address HIV and AIDS globally but must avoid publicly promoting World AIDS Day through any communication channels—including social media, press engagement, speeches, or other public messaging.
Despite the restrictions, the email states that individuals may attend related events, as long as they do not use government funds to do so.
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The directive reportedly cites a broader government stance “to refrain from messaging on any commemorative days, including World AIDS Day,” even though former President Donald Trump has issued proclamations for numerous other observances ranging from National Manufacturing Day to World Intellectual Property Day.
“A commemorative day is not a strategy,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Piggott told The Times, emphasizing the administration’s focus on bilateral work with foreign governments “to save lives and increase responsibility and burden sharing.”
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A Significant Departure From Longstanding Tradition
Since 1988, World AIDS Day has served as an opportunity for the U.S. to honor those lost to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, acknowledge progress in prevention and treatment, and highlight global efforts to end the disease. Last year, President Joe Biden hosted a ceremony on the White House South Lawn featuring panels from the AIDS Memorial Quilt, honoring more than 110,000 people who died from AIDS-related causes.
However, recent years have brought substantial shifts in U.S. international HIV/AIDS policy. According to the report, the Trump administration has canceled several foreign aid programs targeting HIV and AIDS, reduced research and prevention funding, and imposed restrictions on the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Established under President George W. Bush, PEPFAR is credited with preventing an estimated 25 million early deaths worldwide.
World AIDS Day is typically when the State Department releases updated PEPFAR progress data to Congress. It remains unclear whether that information will still be shared this year.
The State Department has not yet responded to requests for comment.