by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman
December 2, 2025
The State Department defended its stance by stating “awareness is not a strategy.”
The Trump administration has prompted the United States not to commemorate World AIDS Day for the first time in decades.
Held on Dec. 1, World AIDS Day is a global recognition of HIV/AIDs and the lives the illness has taken, all while spreading awareness on the ongoing fight to eliminate the epidemic around the world. Since its establishment in 1988, the U.S. has honored the international day alongside fellow countries worldwide. However, this year’s “strategy” to combat the ongoing HIV/AIDS epidemic and accompanying stigma looks different in America.
Under the Trump administration, the State Department announced that the U.S. would break tradition again by not officially commemorating World AIDS Day. An official stated that “an awareness day is not a strategy” as its reasoning for not taking part in the global campaign, as reported by NPR.
While symbolic recognition has taken place in past years under Presidents of all parties, Trump has opted for a different approach to addressing the health issue. The current U.S. President did nothing symbolic to honor those who died and still fight the disease, with over 1.2 million U.S. residents currently dealing with the disease as of 2023, according to research listed by KFF.
The State Department also instructed that no personnel officially commemorate the international day. In a statement, spokesperson Tommy Pigott emphasized the government is “modernizing our approach to countering infectious disease.”
“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,” also wrote Pigott.
However, this shift could greatly impact the funding for global health treatment and initiatives aimed at reducing HIV/AIDs. The U.S. has previously poured billions into HIV/AIDS awareness and care, thus making this current shunning of the international day a concern for advocates.
For some activists, the move indicates the Trump administration’s lack of care about eliminating the disease and helping carriers manage it. The U.S. has also scaled back its funding and support through international aid, with this current move feeling like another hindrance to advancing AIDS treatment. The issue sparked protests in D.C. over the decision not to recognize the day.
“Is this a symbolic act? Yes, it is, and it symbolizes something that is actually devastating and chaotic,” says Mitchell Warren, the executive director of AVAC, a global HIV prevention organization based in the U.S.
However, the omission of participation in World AIDS Day aligns with the Trump administration’s actions toward global health initiatives, especially given Robert Kennedy Jr.’s role leading the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy has remained a staunch conspiracist and anti-vaccine advocate in his policy-making.
The funding cutback has already disrupted services in heavily impacted areas, including several African nations such as Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, and Kenya. Many afflicted with the disease have already faced hurdles to get their medicine as funding continues to fluctuate.
The move also dismisses those within America who died and continue to live with the disease, with a wide majority being people of color. Black and Hispanic people are disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDs, with systemic medical racism also playing a role in their diagnosis and subsequent treatment. KFF also reported that Black women have the highest rates of new diagnoses, accounting for 39% of cases, as well as HIV-related deaths.
“So what’s missing is political will, and that lack of political will was on devastating display when the White House announced that it would ban commemoration of this pandemic. It’s truly depraved and outrageous,” explained another protestor, Asia Russell, executive director of Health GAP, a global HIV advocacy organization.
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