TYLER, Texas — During last week's State of the Union address, President Donald J. Trump promised to end the HIVADIS epidemic in the United States in the next decade.
"My budget will ask Democrats and Republicans to make the needed commitment to eliminate the HIV epidemic in the United States within 10 years," President Trump said. "Together, we will defeat AIDS in America."
On Thursday music icon and HIV/AIDS activist Elton John thanked President Trump for his commitment to helping Americans eradicate the illness.
“I applaud President Trump's announcement of a renewed commitment to ending the AIDS epidemic in the United States." John said through the Elton John AIDS Foundation. "While we have made tremendous progress in reducing new infections and reaching those who are at risk or HIV positive with lifesaving testing and treatment services, the epidemic in the U.S. is far from over. My foundation is committed to strengthening our work with our partners in Atlanta and cities across the region to address the stigma and discrimination that continue to fuel the epidemic among communities of color, the LGBTQ community and the poor. As we have done with PEPFAR for its critical work on AIDS around the world, we look forward to working in coalition with political leaders on both sides of the aisle, private partners, civil society and leading experts to find creative solutions to reach those in need of our support. If we all work together, we can defeat AIDS in the 10-year deadline set by President Trump.”
According to the most recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the annual number of new HIV diagnoses has remained stable in recent years in the U.S. and dependent areas. However, annual new diagnoses have increased among some groups.
In 2017, 38,739 people received an HIV diagnosis in the U.S. The annual number of new HIV diagnoses remained stable between 2012 and 2016.
