Enhancing the Lives of People with HIV: A Quality-of-Life Symposium

Good morning, everyone.

It’s an honor to be here with you all today.

For decades, the incredible leaders in this room have defined, redefined, and pushed forward our country’s—and the world’s—fight against HIV.

It’s not just your grit or perseverance that inspires me; it’s your unwavering commitment to improving the quality of life for anyone affected by this epidemic.

While our work together centers on saving lives, it’s just as crucially about making those lives better—ensuring that people with HIV can not only survive, but thrive.

That’s what today’s event is all about: improving the quality of life for people with HIV through a whole-of-government, and whole-of-society approach.

Because progress rarely comes from one sector alone, or one person working in isolation.

It comes from a whole community—individuals, organizations, and government leaders—joining forces to make life better.

This symposium represents the best of what we can achieve when we bring together diverse voices: individuals with lived experiences, researchers, national organizations, business leaders, and representatives from across the federal government, including members of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy Federal Implementation Workgroup.

Together, through the combination of our resources, expertise, and a renewed focus on individual quality of life, we’ve made extraordinary progress.

At the start of this Administration, President Biden directed us to release a comprehensive National HIV/AIDS Strategy.

This strategy, for the first time ever, focused on five key indicators of quality of life: self-rated health, mental health, food insecurity, unemployment, and unstable housing.

Because improving lives isn’t just about access to healthcare; it’s about addressing the whole person, and their WHOLE lived experience.

Are they living in a safe, comfortable space?

Are they employed in a fulfilling job that allows them to live well, eat well, and feel well?

Over the last four years, we’ve centered this whole-of-life approach in our work together.

And through this focus, the Biden-Harris Administration has:

• Increased access to life-saving treatments, ensuring that individuals with HIV can live longer, healthier lives;

• Broken down barriers of stigma and discrimination; And;

• Enhanced collaboration between federal agencies and community partners, centering the voices of those with lived experiences in federal policymaking.

And the data is clear, our work is making a difference: New HIV infections are falling, and those living with HIV are living longer, healthier lives.

Today’s event is proof of the progress we’ve built together.

And our discussions at this symposium will serve as a springboard to build upon said progress.

Because, despite our advancements, we know our work is far from done.

We’re at a pivotal moment.

People with HIV still face challenges—chronic conditions, persistent stigma, and disparities in access to care.

And as the population ages—with 54% of people with HIV aged 50 or older in 2022—these challenges will only grow more complex.

This moment calls on us to reimagine what’s possible when we work together—when every stakeholder takes ownership of their role in this fight.

Take, for example, the National AIDS Memorial Quilt, created in 1985 through the visionary leadership of Mike Smith and Cleve Jones.

It started as a dream between two people, but with the support of countless others, and the work of numerous different communities coming together, the Quilt has grown to more than 50,000 panels, including nearly 110,000 names.

It’s now the largest piece of communal folk art in the world.

A powerful monument to the tragic loss, and enduring strength of this incredible community. 

This week, portions of the Quilt are displayed at the entrance of this building—a moving reminder to every White House staffer of the resilience and collective power of those affected by HIV/AIDS.

And last Sunday, as a testament to President Biden’s unshakable commitment to the HIV community, the Quilt covered the South Lawn of the White House for the first time ever.

At its unveiling, under the shade of the South Portico, President Biden spoke of “turning pain into purpose.”

He honored the extraordinary strength of the people, families, and communities affected by HIV/AIDS.

He reminded us of the nearly 40 million people living with HIV around the globe.

And he sent a clear, powerful message to the country and the world:

That, “We stand united in the fight against this epidemic.”

Let’s carry that energy forward.

Let’s leave today with;

Renewed focus;

New and innovative ideas;

And a fortified commitment to ensuring a future where ANYONE effected by the HIV epidemic can LIVE well, FEEL well, and BE well;

Where they THRIVE.

Thank you for your dedication, and for all the work you do, every day, for communities across the country.