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Board proclaims June 5 HIV Long‑Term Survivors Awareness Day amid calls to restore city HIV prevention funding
Summary
The board adopted a resolution recognizing June 5 as HIV Long‑Term Survivors Awareness Day as dozens of long‑term survivors and advocates urged supervisors to reject proposed budget cuts to HIV prevention and services.
The Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted a resolution (Item 19) recognizing June 5, 2026 as HIV Long‑Term Survivors Awareness Day.
Supervisor Chan presented the resolution and emphasized the city’s obligation to long‑term survivors, noting the population’s disproportionately high rates of chronic illness and social isolation. The public comment period that followed included many speakers who thanked the board for the recognition but warned that the mayor’s proposed budget would cut vital HIV prevention and community services. Speakers included representatives of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and multiple long‑term survivors who urged the board to restore or prevent cuts to programs such as community health access points, harm reduction services, and prevention programs that advocates say have demonstrably reduced infections.
Paul Aguilar, a long‑term survivor and co‑author of the San Francisco Principles, warned the board that a proposed cut of $37 million in public health funding (as described by public commenters) would “willfully dismantle the framework that you swore to uphold.” Several speakers asked the board to hold the line on prior commitments made in 2020 and 2022 to protect the HIV safety net.
Why it matters: San Francisco has an outsized legacy in HIV prevention and care, and long‑term survivors and advocates argued that preserving prevention and harm‑reduction infrastructure is essential to maintain public health gains.
What happens next: The resolution was adopted; advocates asked supervisors to translate the symbolic recognition into budget actions during the city’s budget process.
Representative quote: “By proclaiming today… we are not just offering symbolic support. We are recognizing that their distinct challenges require a distinct, fully funded city response,” Supervisor Chan said.
