NBJC Denounces Trump Administration’s Plan to Gut CDC’s HIV Prevention Division
CONTACT: Jordan Wilhelmi | jordan@unbendablemedia.com
WASHINGTON –Dr. David J. Johns, CEO and Executive Director of the National Black Justice Collective (NBJC), issued the following statement in response to reports that the Trump administration is considering eliminating the CDC’s HIV Prevention Division and shifting its responsibilities within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS):
“The administration’s attempt to dismantle the CDC’s HIV Prevention Division is not just reckless—it is a direct attack on Black people, LGBTQ+/same-gender loving (SGL) people, and other marginalized people most impacted by the HIV epidemic. Defunding HIV prevention will undo decades of progress, forcing states to bear the financial burden of prevention and treatment programs while putting countless lives at risk.
“The CDC’s HIV Prevention Division has played a critical role in public health since the early 1980s, focusing on preventing new HIV transmissions. Programs like Let’s Stop HIV Together and Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE), which Trump’s first administration launched, were built on the simple principle that we cannot end HIV without focusing on the communities most impacted. Now, they are working to destroy the very initiatives they once championed. With game-changing treatments like PrEP available, we should be expanding access, not defunding the very programs responsible for providing life-saving education and resources.
“We know who this will hurt the most. Black same-gender-loving men and Black women continue to experience the highest rates of new HIV transmissions—and access to prevention services remains shamefully unequal. While 90% of white gay men know about PrEP, only 20% of Black same-gender-loving men do. The CDC’s prevention efforts were beginning to close that gap, finally reaching the people who need these resources the most. Dismantling these programs now would be nothing short of abandoning our communities.
“NBJC is proud to be a grantee of the Let’s Stop HIV Together campaign because we have seen firsthand how critical education and outreach are in the fight to end HIV. We know that by working together, we can and will stop new transmissions and, if Congress renews PEPFAR, end the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. But this is only possible if we reject these dangerous cuts and demand investment—not abandonment—in HIV prevention.
“We will not stand by while this administration turns back the clock on progress. We urge Congress and public health leaders to stop this disastrous plan before it’s too late.”