Trump administration won’t observe World AIDS Day, in news that will shock no one

In a surprise to absolutely no one whatsoever, the Trump administration will not mark World AIDS Day this year.

Commemorated on 1 December every year since 1988, World AIDS Day is dedicated to raising awareness about HIV/AIDS, prevention and treatment, and is also a moment to mourn those whose lives have been lost to the illnesses.

First reported by journalist, academic and activist Emily Bass – whose work focuses on pandemics – via her Substack, Bass shared a screenshot of an email directed to State Department employees detailing that they should not in any way mark World AIDS Day.

“USG funds should not be used for any World AIDS Day events”

In the email, employees are told to “refrain from publicly promoting World AIDS Day through any communication channels, including social media, media engagements, speeches or other public-facing messaging” and “USG funds should not be used for any World AIDS Day events or commemorative activities”.

The move is part of the government’s wider policy to “to refrain from messaging on any commemorative days, including World AIDS Day”, noted in the email which was also viewed by The New York Times.

However, employees “may attend external, locally organized World AIDS Day events” and “tout the work” which is being done “to counter this dangerous disease and other infectious diseases around the world”, but they “may not speak at these events or promote their attendance via social media or media channels”.

Speaking to The New York Times, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said “an awareness day is not a strategy”.

“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,” Pigott said.

Earlier this year the US government under Trump culled funding for foreign aid programmes that combat HIV/AIDS and support education and prevention in various communities around the world, which came as part of a wider mission by the administration’s newly created, Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to shrink the federal government and cut billions in spending.

These cuts have included shutting down USAID, the world’s largest foreign aid agency, firing thousands of government employees across various departments and ending a “lifesaving” LGBTQ+ suicide prevention helpline, amongst many others.

Back in January, secretary of state Marco Rubio announced that PEPFAR – the United States governmental initiative, set up by George W Bush, to combat the global HIV/AIDS epidemic – would be exempt from a freeze on international aid funding. 

However, by April, senior public policy advocate at the Human Rights Campaign, Matt Rose, said the programme was barely functioning and described the situation as “getting very precarious”.

Experts and HIV charities immediately warned that cuts to prevention initiatives could have a devastating impact on infection rates around the world, with researchers at the Burnet Institute in Australia predicting there could be up to 2.9 million more HIV-related deaths worldwide by the start of the next decade.

Last week, the UN’s global HIV prevention programme, UNAIDS, warned in its annual report that rollbacks in support and funding from the US and other countries, such as France, the UK, and Germany, has resulted in the worst setback in HIV prevention in decades.

“Behind every data point in this report are people – babies and children missed for HIV screening or early HIV diagnosis, young women cut off from prevention support, and communities suddenly left without services and care,” Winnie Byanyima, UNAIDS executive director, said.

“We cannot abandon them. We must overcome this disruption and transform the AIDS response.”

It is estimated at least 40.8 million people are living with HIV worldwide, with 1.3 million new cases recorded in 2024.

An estimated 9.2 million people have not accessed treatment.