Muriel Elizabeth Bowser (born August 2, 1972) is an American politician serving as the eighth Mayor of the District of Columbia since 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously represented Ward 4 as a member of the Council of the District of Columbia from 2007 to 2015. She is the second female Mayor of the District of Columbia after Sharon Pratt, and the first woman to be reelected to that position.
D.C. Dept. of Health, Whitman-Walker launch new effort to promote PrEP
Officials with Whitman-Walker Health say they are moving forward in a joint project with the D.C. Department of Health to increase public awareness of the HIV prevention medication known as PrEP that was launched on July 16 during the first annual PrEP Awareness Day in Washington, D.C.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser issued a proclamation on July 16 for PrEP Awareness Day to “call upon all residents, healthcare providers, and community organizations to participate in efforts to increase awareness, understanding, and accessibility of PrEP.” In a separate statement, Whitman-Walker noted that July 16, 2024, marks the 12th anniversary of the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration’s approval of PrEP medication as a safe and effective means of preventing HIV infection. “This day is dedicated to raising awareness about the life-saving benefits of Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PreEP) and its critical role in the fight against HIV/AIDS,” the statement says.
The statement notes that PrEP has been proven to reduce the risk of HIV infection by up to 99 percent when taken as prescribed.
