Statement Commemorating 30 Years of HIV/AIDS
By: Martha A. Roherty
Executive Director, National Association of States United for Aging and Disability
Over the last three decades, prevention strategies and treatment options evolved, improving the lives of individuals living with HIV/AIDS, and signaling the potential for even greater medical advancements in the years to come. However, HIV remains a serious threat, with over 33 million people around the world living with the disease. On June 2, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) , the single largest public funder of HIV/AIDS research in the world, released a statement, The 30th Anniversary of the First Reported Cases of AIDS, which, in part, summarizes the scientific advances in treatment and prevention since 1981, before concluding that “The HIV/AIDS pandemic will remain one of the most serious public health crises of our time until better, more effective, and affordable prevention and treatment regimens are developed and universally available.”
As the federal government works to implement a comprehensive National HIV/AIDS Strategy that provides a roadmap for reducing new infections and health disparities, while improving care and health outcomes for those living with HIV/AIDS within the United States, it does so with an emphasis on the need for a commitment throughout all sectors of our society, at the local, state, and federal levels. For more information on what you can do to contribute to the success of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, please follow this link.
In addition for calling upon a renewed commitment domestically, the Administration notes that we as a nation must remain committed to expanding access to HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment globally, in order to successfully end the pandemic. The efforts made by the current Administration, in part by building upon the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to enhance our national impact, support efforts abroad, and meet future challenges, are critical to both treating and preventing this disease.
Thirty years have lapsed since the global community began battling HIV/AIDS, and today we honor the memory of those we have lost by supporting both a renewed commitment to eradicating the disease, and a shared responsibility to improving the lives and health outcomes for those living with HIV/AIDS.
More information about the 30th Commemoration of HIV/AIDS, including upcoming events and suggestions for educating others about HIV/AIDS, is available at www.AIDS.gov. Please note that later this month, on June 27, is National HIV Testing Day, an annual observance to promote HIV Testing. To become involved, or to learn more about the initiative, please follow this link. To find an HIV testing site in your local area, please visit www.HIVTest.org.