Healthcare got quite a bit of attention during Trump’s State of the Union address. Trump spoke about childhood cancer and prescription drug prices. He also announced a new public health initiative, which aims at bringing an end to the HIV epidemic in the U.S.
Trump said that in recent years there has been a remarkable progress in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Scientific breakthroughs have brought a once-distant dream within reach. He said that the budget will call for Democrats and Republicans to make the required commitment to eliminate HIV epidemic in the United States within 10 years. He made a clarion call by saying, “Together, we will defeat AIDS in America.”
Soon, specifics will be shared but, a statement released by Secretary Alex Azar offered some additional details. The initiative will focus on reducing new infections by 75% in the next five years and by 90% in the next ten years. This effort would prevent more than 250,000 infections.
Azar mentioned that within the next ten years, we have the opportunity to end the HIV epidemic for the next generation. Along with AIDS and HIV, opioid addiction and substance abuse are challenges faced by U.S.