Today is World AIDS Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness about the disease and remembering those lost to it. It has been observed annually on this date since 1988, but for the first time, the United States government is not formally commemorating the occasion this year. Donald Trump’s State Department has instructed its employees and grantees “to refrain from messaging on any commemorative days, including World AIDS Day,” in an email obtained by the New York Times. Although they are still allowed to “tout the work” being done “to counter this dangerous disease and other infectious diseases around the world,” they should “refrain from publicly promoting World AIDS Day through any communication channels.” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott told the Times it was part of a change in approach to combating infectious diseases: “An awareness day is not a strategy.”
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