“Our theme of Remember and Commit gives us this opportunity to think about all of those pioneers […] who have meant so much to us and also those [who] we’ve lost that help fuel our continued passion for this work.” The White House’s Harold Phillips shared this sentiment during a livestreamed post-World AIDS Day conversation on Monday, December 4, highlighting federal activities supporting this global day of remembrance.

Watch the conversation hereExit Disclaimer.

Harold was joined by our facilitator, Caroline Talev, Senior Management Analyst in HHS’ Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy (OIDP) and Alternate Designated Federal Officer, Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA) for the event, which was shown on HIV.gov’s FacebookExit Disclaimer and YouTubeExit Disclaimer pages, as well as OIDP’s LinkedInExit Disclaimer page. In the conversation, Harold shared recent ways that the Biden-Harris Administration continues to support the implementation of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) and efforts to end the HIV epidemic, including:

• The World AIDS Day release of the NHAS Interim Action Report (PDF, 337KB), which details the important progress made toward achieving the goals outlined in the NHAS. Read our blog about its release here.
• Implementation of the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. initiative, including the President’s $850 million request to Congress to continue this initiative. For more details regarding the Administration’s commitment to ending the HIV epidemic, read the FACT SHEET: The Biden-⁠Harris Administration’s Efforts to End HIV/AIDS At Home and Abroad here.
• The update of two important guidelines that impact the HIV community regarding stigma and discrimination: the FDA’s blood donation guidelines, as well as the breast and chestfeeding guidelines for people with HIV.

Watch OIDP Staff Reflections

In her livestream comments, Caroline mentioned our blogs that featured three OIDP staff members as they shared touching personal memories about those lost to the HIV epidemic. Read the blog here for more information and be sure to watch both videos.

For more of HIV.gov’s World AIDS Day coverage in recognition of its 35th annual observance, see our blog about some of the statements released from various federal agencies. Also, check out our blog page for a full accounting of this year’s blogs.