President Donald Trump is launching a campaign to end the HIV epidemic in the United States by 2030, targeting areas where new infections happen and getting highly effective drugs to people at risk.
Briefing reporters ahead of Trump's State of the Union speech, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and senior public health officials said the campaign relies on fresh insights into where about half of new HIV cases occur 48 out of some 3,000 U.S. counties, and Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and seven states with at-risk rural residents.
"We've never had that kind of 'This is the target,'" said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government's pre-eminent AIDS warrior and head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
The government has "been trying to address HIV, but never in such a focused way," he said.
HIV is the virus that causes AIDS.
"Together, we will defeat AIDS in America and beyond," Trump said in his speech. He pledged funding in his upcoming budget, but did not say how much.
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Trump's move is being greeted with a mix of skepticism and cautious optimism by anti-AIDS activists.
They're flagging his previous efforts to slash Medicaid health care for low-income people, and his administration's ongoing drive to roll back newly won acceptance for LGBTQ people.
"We stand ready to work with him and his administration if they are serious," said a statement from AIDS United and other groups. "But to date, this administration's actions speak louder than words and have moved us in the wrong direction." AIDS United funds and advocates policies to combat AIDS.
The ONE Campaign, the global anti-poverty group co-founded by rock singer Bono, called Trump's pledge a "welcome sign," but pointed out that the administration has also proposed deep cuts in U.S. funding for efforts to battle HIV in Africa.
"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," Michael Ruppal, executive director of the AIDS Institute, said in a statement.
While Azar said significant new funding would be included in the president's budget, he also emphasized that the campaign is about making more efficient use of existing programs like the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, which provides medical care and support services.
"The tools are there," Azar said. "This is about execution."
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