IAPAC Applauds Settlement in WSMA v. Kennedy Case
WASHINGTON, DC (September 2, 2025) – The International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC) today applauded the settlement reached between the US Government and the plaintiffs in the WSMA v. Kennedy case, of which IAPAC was one of nine medical and public health organization plaintiffs.
In May 2025, the plaintiffs sued the US government to stop the deletion of vital public health and science data on federal health webpages. The plaintiffs sought relief in the form of restoration of these critical health resources for use by medical providers, health departments, and the American public. Following is a statement from Dr. José M. Zuniga, President/CEO of IAPAC and the Fast-Track Cities Institute (FTCI), another plaintiff in the case:
“IAPAC, as a plaintiff in Medical Association v. Kennedy, welcomes the agreement by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to restore HIV and other public health-related webpages and data that were wrongfully altered or deleted in response to various Trump administration executive orders.
Today’s outcome as a decisive victory for science, truth, and the communities whose health depends upon both. By agreeing to restore the federally maintained federal health webpages that were improperly taken down or altered under executive orders, including Executive Order 14168, the HHS has affirmed what we argued throughout this case: that Americans deserve unfettered access to evidence-based health information.
This agreement is more than a legal resolution; it is a reaffirmation of the principle that public health should not be subjected to political erasure. The webpages slated for restoration are vital resources about HIV, reproductive health, preventive medicine, and other topics that millions of clinicians rely upon to make informed decisions. Silencing or scrubbing such resources not only endangered lives but also undermined the trust and transparency that must anchor the relationship between the federal government and the people it serves.
I am proud that IAPAC and FTCI joined the Washington State Medical Association (WSMA), Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (ANAC), and other co-plaintiffs in defending the public’s right to science-based health guidance. IAPAC engaged in this lawsuit because the stakes were not abstract: lives were, and are, on the line when evidence is suppressed. The restoration of these webpages and data marks a critical step forward in safeguarding access to essential health information for people living with and affected by HIV and other conditions.
We celebrate this outcome, but we also recognize it as a reminder of vigilance. Today’s agreement underscores that health equity and human rights require constant defense against forces that would subordinate them to ideology. IAPAC and our allies will continue to ensure that every community, regardless of who they are or where they live, has access to the tools, resources, and knowledge that empower them to protect their health and dignity.”
