A PLAN to end new HIV transmissions in England by 2030 is “on track”, according to new government figures.
In an annual update on the HIV Action Plan for England, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said it was on schedule to reduce transmissions by 80 per cent in 2025 and to end new transmissions entirely by 2030.
The report found that between 2019 and 2021, cases of diagnosed HIV fell by almost a third and by more than a fifth for AIDS. Increased testing across the country is also being credited with a reduction in the number of people who are unaware of their HIV status.
As part of the action plan, NHS England is investing £20 million between 2022 and 2025 to expand blood borne viruses opt out testing in emergency departments in local authority areas with the highest HIV prevalence: London, Brighton, Manchester, Salford and Blackpool. The DHSC said this testing helped diagnose 2,000 cases of blood-borne viruses - including 343 people living with HIV - in the first year of the programme.
Health Minister Neil O’Brien described the plan’s progress as “hugely encouraging”.
He said: “Since the HIV Action Plan was launched in 2019, we have been working hard to reduce new infections by tackling stigma and urging more people to get tested, as well as helping people to access potentially life-saving treatment.”
Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at the UK Health Security Agency, said: “The end of HIV transmission is in sight in England, but increasing testing, access to prevention including PrEP and getting those diagnosed started on HIV treatment earlier is crucial to achieving this goal.”
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