Britain’s Parliament honors Elton John for his work fighting HIV in the UK and beyond

By SYLVIA HUI
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Elton John has addressed Britain’s Parliament at an event honoring his dedication to fighting HIV in the U.K. and beyond. The British star spoke to dozens of lawmakers and campaigners in the grand Speaker’s House of Parliament on Wednesday. John set up his AIDS Foundation in 1992 and has helped raise millions of dollars to prevent HIV infections and reduce stigma. In the U.K., the charity recently led campaigns to extend a pilot government program to test people visiting hospitals’ emergency rooms for HIV. The program has helped diagnose hundreds of new HIV cases. The Parliament reception for John came ahead of World AIDS Day, which takes place on Friday.