Elton John featured in Anderson Cooper show on AIDS Friday

Hope Survives: 30 Years of AIDS will Air Friday, January 14th at 9pm ET

CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360° will dedicate a special hour to AIDS in America as we approach 30 years since the first diagnosis. The special will focus on the role stigma continues to play in the spread of HIV both here in the U.S. and around the world, and how through education and scaled up prevention there is hope for an HIV-free future generation. The show will also explore the latest medical breakthroughs and discoveries.

In addition to Anderson Cooper’s in-depth interview with Sir Elton John about his foundation’s work to end the disease, the show will also include interviews with Academy-award winning actress Mo’nique, Project Runway’s Mondo Guerra, Phill Wilson, Founder and Executive Director of the Black AIDS Institute and co-founder of Greater Than AIDS, a new national movement developed with the Kaiser Family Foundation, and Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The special hour will also feature emotional clips from famous personalities on their personal “Deciding Moment” that changed how they think about the disease and inspired them to get involved, including Academy-Award winning actress Susan Sarandon, actress Sharon Stone, singer Barry Manilow, basketball legend Kareem Abdul Jabbar, comedienne Margaret Cho, Author Maya Angelou and Jeanne White Ginder, the mother of the late Ryan White.

Sir Elton John and his Elton John AIDS Foundation have been leaders in the fight against AIDS for over 18 years, serving vulnerable at-risk populations without judgment, reducing HIV-related stigma and discrimination, educating people about HIV/AIDS, and supporting science-based, culturally appropriate HIV prevention programming.

“I’m deeply grateful to CNN and Anderson Cooper for focusing a special hour of programming to bring attention to the continuing impact of HIV/AIDS, not only internationally, but also right here in the United States,” said Sir Elton John “We’ve all become way too complacent about a deadly epidemic that is only getting bigger, especially when we already have creative readily accessible prevention methods that we know to be highly effective at curtailing the spread of this disease right now.”

Established in the US in 1992 and in the UK in 1993 by Sir Elton John, the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) is one of the world's leading nonprofit organizations supporting innovative HIV prevention programs, efforts to eliminate HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination, and direct care and support services for people living with the disease. Together, both entities have raised $220 million for worthy programs in 55 countries around the globe since inception.

For more information, please visit www.ejaf.org.