Denver, CO -- One Colorado, the state’s leading advocacy organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) Coloradans and their families, issued the following statement from Executive Director, Daniel Ramos on World AIDS Day, recognized on December 1st, 2019.

‍“On World AIDS Day, we can look back at the powerful work that’s been done to suppress the HIV epidemic, which has claimed the lives of so many in our LGBTQ community. But we must also look ahead to the challenges we have yet to overcome. We need to erase the stigma and misinformation surrounding HIV and AIDS. We need to make preventative treatments like PrEP more affordable and accessible. We need to continue improving the medications and care offered to those who are currently living with HIV. Today, we honor the lives we have lost and stand firm in the fight to end the epidemic.”

- Daniel Ramos, Executive Director, One Colorado.

‍More than 14,000 Coloradans are living with HIV. World AIDS Day takes place on 1 December each year. It’s an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV, and to commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related illness. Started in 1988, World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day. https://www.worldaidsday.org/about/Earlier this year, President Trump made a bold commitment during his State of the Union Address to end the HIV epidemic in the United States. Subsequently, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services launched an ambitious plan called “Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America” to reduce the incidence of HIV domestically by 75% in 5 years, and by 90% by 2030.