Washington, DC - Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson: "On World AIDS Day, we honor those who have lost their lives to AIDS, celebrate the progress we have made together in combatting this disease, and continue our commitment toward ending AIDS as a public health threat.

"The United States is proud of its longstanding leadership in the global HIV/AIDS response, working alongside our many partners around the world, made possible through the compassion and generosity of the American people.

"We are at an unprecedented moment in the fight against AIDS. For the first time in modern history, we have the opportunity to control a global pandemic without having a vaccine or a cure.

"The latest results achieved through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) show that we are closer to this goal than ever before through our acceleration of HIV prevention and treatment efforts. Driven by transparent, accountable, and cost-effective investments under the PEPFAR Strategy for Accelerating HIV/AIDS Epidemic Control (2017-2020), which I launched earlier this year, we continue to lead the way."