Donald Trump and HIV/AIDS: A 10-Year Promise

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During his State of the Union address, the US president, Donald Trump, has vowed to eradicate HIV/AIDS within 10 years.

“My budget will ask Democrats and Republicans to make the needed commitment to eliminate the HIV epidemic in the United States within 10 years,” Mr. Trump said during the address Tuesday night. “Together, we will defeat AIDS in America.”

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“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 … together, we will defeat AIDS in America and beyond,” he added.

However, his track record has left some of his critics sceptical. Trump’s move is being greeted with a mix of scepticism and cautious optimism by anti-AIDS activists.

The administration fired members of the President’s Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS in late 2017, and new co-chairs weren’t sworn in until last month.

The rest of the council is still vacant.

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Trump has also not appointed a director of the Office of National AIDS Policy, which was formed under former President Clinton, reports The Hill.

According to CBS News, not everyone is hopeful. In a statement, AIDS United and other groups said, “We stand ready to work with him and his administration if they are serious. But to date, this administration’s actions speak louder than words and have moved us in the wrong direction.”

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Trump’s administration has also asked for cuts to domestic and global HIV/AIDs programs in previous budgets. For instance, in 2017, the Trump-Pence White House wanted to cut $1.1 billion from U.S. funding to fight global HIV.

However, some believe that it’s possible to achieve the milestone by 2030.

“While we might have policy differences with the President and his Administration, this initiative, if properly implemented and resourced, can go down in history as one of the most significant achievements of his Presidency,” AIDS Institute Executive Director Michael Ruppal is reported saying.

 

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