Singer-songwriter Madonna issued strong criticism Monday after the Trump administration declined to recognize Dec. 1 as World AIDS Day, a long-observed day meant to highlight the global impact of HIV and AIDS.
According to reporting from The New York Times, the State Department instructed employees late last month to “refrain from publicly promoting World AIDS Day through any communication channels, including social media, media engagements, speeches, or other public-facing messaging.” The move marked a significant departure from past federal acknowledgment of the annual observance.
Madonna responded in an Instagram post, writing, “Donald Trump has announced that World AIDS Day should no longer be acknowledged. It’s one thing to order federal agents to refrain from commemorating this day, but to ask the general public to pretend it never happened is ridiculous, it’s absurd, it’s unthinkable.” She added, “I bet he’s never watched his best friend die of AIDS, held their hand, and watched the blood drain from their face as they took their last breath at the age of 23.”
AIDS develops in individuals who contract the human immunodeficiency virus and do not receive treatment. Global data shows the virus continues to take a heavy toll. The World Health Organization estimates that last year alone, an estimated 630,000 people died from HIV related causes, while about 1.3 million people acquired HIV. As of July, the WHO reported that HIV has claimed roughly 44.1 million lives worldwide, with transmission continuing in every region.
In her post, Madonna reflected on personal losses tied to the epidemic. “The list of people that I have known and loved and lost to AIDS is pretty long. I’m sure many of you out there can relate. Let me say it one more time-there still isn’t a cure for AIDS, and people still die from it,” she wrote. She concluded by reaffirming her commitment to the day’s observance. “I refuse to acknowledge that these people have died in vain. And I will continue to honor World AIDS Day, and I hope you will honor it with me.”
Read Also: Madonna opens up about ‘terrifying news’ – ‘I’m scared for my daughters.
Under the Trump administration, the State Department has scaled back involvement in the President’s Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief, known as PEPFAR, a program that has historically funded HIV assistance worldwide. Although the department is required to send HIV and AIDS data to Congress, the Times reported uncertainty about whether the administration will follow through.
A senior administration official defended the shift in a statement to The Hill, saying, “PEPFAR has delivered progress, but 20+ years later, it is time for the program to evolve and move into a more locally-led response. Foreign governments have repeatedly expressed a desire to have more control over how they address their populations’ health needs.” The official added that the United States would remain committed to long-term disease reduction goals while emphasizing that countries must take primary responsibility for their outcomes.
President Trump withdrew from the World Health Organization in January and rejected its policies and international observance guidelines, which the administration says include withdrawing from World AIDS Day recognition.
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