President Trump wants to end US hiv epidemic by 2030
President Trump wants to end US hiv epidemic by 2030
President Donald Trump announced in his State of the Union speech that he wants to end the US HIV epidemic by 2030. “In recent years we have made remarkable progress in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Scientific breakthroughs have brought a once-distant dream within reach. My budget will ask Democrats and Republicans to make the needed commitment to eliminate the HIV epidemic in the United States within 10 years”. “Together, we will defeat AIDS in America and beyond”.
Scientific reality versus political reality
Trump has pledged to end the epidemic by first targeting communities across roughly 20 States where the most HIV infections occur. Such a plan is very doable, according to HIV prevention experts, but these groups include gay, trans, black and Latino men, drug users and people living in Southern states without public health care. Constituencies that are stigmatized by the Trump administration, which is trying to build a wall on the Mexico border and kick trans people out of the military. In short, ending the HIV epidemic matches the scientific reality, but it doesn’t match the political reality.
Massive cuts
The “beyond” in his speech is a reference to the U.S. support for global AIDS. It is ironic because ever since the start of his Presidency, Trump has been pushing for massive cuts in U.S. government’s budget allocations to both PEPFAR and the Global Fund year after year. Furthermore, we have seen his expanded Global Gag Rule, the defunding of critical HIV research at the National Institutes of Health, the defunding of planned parenthood and other community groups in the U.S. providing comprehensive sexual education and services.
Ongoing lobby
The President’s Budget Request for FY 2020 is expected to be released by mid-March. We will then find out how much he will ask Congress for his plans to defeat AIDS in the U.S. and how big his proposed cuts for PEPFAR and Global Fund will be this time. Congress so far has fought back and maintained the same levels of funding for PEPFAR and Global Fund as under President Obama. Aidsfonds will continue to lobby with other international partners at the Congress to avoid any cuts in the international AIDS budget.