I worked on HIV, now I want to make sure this Government ends new cases for good

Timely not only because this Sunday is World AIDS Day, the opportunity each year to remember those lost to HIV-related illness, but also because the Government is developing a new HIV Action Plan, so that we can end new HIV transmissions in England by 2030 – and be the first country to do so.

Great progress has already been made in the fight against HIV. Thanks to advances in medicine, people living with HIV on effective treatment can reduce their viral load to zero – meaning they can’t pass the virus on. Quick and easy testing now exists, and preventative measures such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) are available for free on the NHS. As a gay man, I have always felt lucky that I came of age on the cusp of these advances. We have come a long way since the dark early days of the epidemic.

But there is so much more to do, and time is ticking for us to get everything in place to reach the ambitious 2030 target. It will demand even more concerted effort and commitment to get us there, because despite the progress made, we are not, yet, on track.

From my time working at National AIDS Trust, and from conversations I continue to have in the community, I know what it would mean to people living with HIV, the friends and family of those who we have lost, and the indefatigable and committed workers in the voluntary and healthcare sectors, if we were able to bring about this historic change. We have a duty to do so. And while we do, we must remember that this fight does not end with stopping new HIV transmissions. As people living with HIV grow older, society needs to be equipped to provide appropriate care and support. We must continue to stand with them.

Getting on Track, written by Elton John AIDS Foundation, Terrence Higgins Trust and National AIDS Trust following a series of consultations with people living with HIV, healthcare professionals, sector organisations and other interested parties, outlines the steps that must be taken – and taken now – to end new HIV transmissions by 2030. 

The report makes six clear calls which must be central to the new HIV Action plan:

• NHS England should co-own the new HIV Action Plan with the Department for Health and Social Care and appoint a new designated HIV lead in NHS England to drive the changes needed.
• The Department for Health and Social Care should invest in a year-round online HIV and STI postal testing service.
• Opt-out HIV testing in emergency departments must continue and national clinical testing guidelines implemented in all other health settings.
• The government should introduce a national PrEP Expansion Plan, to reach more people who would benefit from the drug.
• NHS England should commission a national HIV Retention and Re-engagement programme.
• Training and awareness-raising programmes should be in place in all healthcare settings so that staff have the right knowledge on HIV and no one living with HIV experiences discrimination.

No plan will succeed without addressing the inequalities that still underpin the HIV epidemic: poverty, racism, homophobia, gender inequalities and more. It is clear that this challenge requires action from across the health service and beyond.

We must not underestimate the significant steps forward that have been taken since the beginning of the epidemic. But at the same time we cannot  lose momentum or become complacent. It is time to speed up, not slow down. Progress has stalled in the last couple of years, and we are not on track to see the end of transmissions in five years’ time.

We know what works. We have the tools. We have a strong foundation to build on. But all of this must all be available for everyone. The recommendations of the Getting on Track report give us a clear guide to the kinds of intervention that the next HIV Action Plan must include. It is vital that they are adopted, to make a happier, healthier future for us all.

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