HIV History Timeline | End HIV Dallas County
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The HIV History Timeline

It takes a community to end the HIV epidemic. 2030 is the goal, but to reach it, we need our community to come together. The fight started over 40 years ago, and we can’t stop fighting until it’s over. Every moment matters and every milestone counts in the effort to put an end to HIV.

1980

1981

  • June 5, 1981

    AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) is first documented
    and identified. Often considered the beginning of the AIDS and
    HIV epidemics.

1990

  • April 8, 1990

    Ryan White died of AIDS-related illness
    at the age of 18.

  • August 8, 1990

    U.S. Congress enacted the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act of 1990, providing federal funds for HIV care and treatment services.

2000

  • January 2000

    President Bill Clinton announces launch of the Millennium Vaccine Initiative which promotes delivery of vaccines in developing countries and accelerates development of new vaccines.

  • April 30, 2000

    President Clinton declares HIV/AIDS a threat to U.S. national security.

  • July 2000

    UNAIDS (the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS), the World Health Organization (WHO), and other global health groups announce a joint initiative to negotiate reduced prices for HIV/AIDS drugs in developing countries.

  • August 2000

    The U.S. Congress enacts the Global AIDS and Tuberculosis Relief Act of 2000. This act authorized $600 million in funding for resources.

2001

  • May 2001

    The first annual observance of HIV Vaccine Awareness Day takes place.

  • November 2001

    The Food and Drug Administration approves the first rapid HIV diagnostic test kit for use.

2003

  • January 2003

    President George W. Bush announces
    the President’s Emergency Plan for
    AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

2005

  • February 2005

    UNAIDS launches The Global Coalition
    on Women and AIDS.

2006

  • December 2006

    A University of Illinois at Chicago study indicates that
    medical circumcision reduces men’s risk of acquiring
    HIV during heterosexual intercourse by 53%.

2007

  • May 2007

    WHO and UNAIDS issue new guidance recommending
    “provider-initiated” HIV testing in health care settings.
    This makes HIV testing more widely available in clinics.
    CDC reports over 565,000 people have died of
    AIDS in the U.S. since 1981.

2009

  • January 2009

    President Barack Obama calls for the development
    of the first National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the U.S.

  • December 2009

    President Barack Obama signs the Consolidated
    Appropriations Act, 2010, modifying the ban on the
    use of federal funds for needle-exchange programs.

2010

2011

  • July 2011

    A new U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
    Prevention (CDC) study and separate trial
    (the Partners PrEP Study) provide first evidence
    that a daily oral dose of antiretroviral drugs can
    reduce HIV acquisition among uninfected individuals
    exposed to the virus through heterosexual sex.

2012

  • July 2012

    FDA approves the use of Truvada® for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).

2013

  • November 2013

    President Obama signs the HIV Organ Policy
    Equity (HOPE) Act, which allows people living with
    HIV to receive organs from other infected donors.

2014

  • January 2014

    UN aids established the 90-90-90 goals.

  • February 2014

    Paris signed the declaration as a Fast Track City.

2018

  • November 2018

    The state of Texas and Dallas County launch an achieving together plan.

2019

  • January 2019

    President Donald J. Trump announces his
    administration’s new initiative, Ending the
    Epidemic: A Plan for America, during
    the State of the Union address.

  • August 2019

    Dallas became an End the HIV Epidemic Fast Track County.

2020

  • January 1, 2020

    The Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative began for
    all of U.S. 50 states and 7 territories.

  • December 2020

    Dallas County recognizes December as HIV Awareness Month.

2021

  • December 2021

    FDA approves the first long-acting injectable form of PrEP for use in adults and adolescents.

  • December 2021

    The proportion of people in Texas with HIV who are aware of their status increased from 79 percent in 2012 to almost 84 percent in 2021.

2022

  • January 2022

    The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program provides life-saving care, medication, and
    essential support services to more than 576,000 people with HIV in the U.S.,
    achieving a record-breaking viral suppression rate of nearly 91% among its clients.

2023

  • April 2023

    The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awards over $147 million to 49 recipients as part of the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the US (EHE) initiative, aiming to reduce new HIV infections in the U.S.

  • December 2023

    Dallas County Commissioners Court issues a resolution recognizing December as HIV Awareness Month, reaffirming the county’s commitment to combating the HIV epidemic.

2024

  • July 2024

    Gilead Sciences announces that its HIV prevention drug, lenacapavir,
    demonstrated a 96% reduction in HIV infections during a large clinical
    trial involving men who have sex with men. Gilead plans to seek FDA
    approval by the end of 2024, with a potential market launch in 2025.

  • August 2024

    UNAIDS reports that, as of 2023, an estimated 39.9 million people worldwide are living with HIV. The organization emphasizes the need for increased funding and resources to meet the 2025 target of $29.3 billion to effectively combat the epidemic.

2025

  • December 2025

    The CDC’s Ending the HIV Epidemic in the US (EHE) initiative aims to reduce new HIV infections by 75% by 2025, setting a critical benchmark in the national effort to curb the epidemic.

2030

  • Dallas County EHE

    December 2030

    Achieve at least a 90% reduction in new HIV infections.