Overview
- An internal State Department email instructed employees that the U.S. government would not commemorate World AIDS Day and prohibited using federal funds or public-facing messaging related to it.
- Deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott defended the move as part of a modernized global health approach, saying "an awareness day is not a strategy."
- Advocates protested outside the White House and prominent figures, including Madonna, criticized the decision in public statements and social media posts.
- UNAIDS and public-health groups report that recent U.S. cuts and program changes have disrupted HIV treatment and prevention services in countries such as Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia and Kenya.
- State and local entities continued observances, with California formally recognizing the day and San Francisco hosting events at the National AIDS Memorial.