Testing at A&Es part of plan to end new HIV cases in England by 2030 | Aids and HIV

Ending new HIV transmissions in England by 2030 is within reach thanks to an action plan which will include routine testing in emergency departments, the government has said.

The HIV action plan, which will be unveiled on Monday on World AIDS Day, aims to re-engage the thousands of people who have dropped out of HIV care, bringing them back to life-saving treatment. The £170 million package also includes funding for HIV testing in emergency rooms during routine blood tests in areas with the highest rates, including London and Manchester.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “I promised to end HIV transmission in England and Wales by 2030 and we are making this a reality through our action plan, with a ground-breaking new HIV prevention programme, home testing made available through the NHS app and opt-out testing in emergency departments. »

A steady decline in HIV diagnoses was recorded in England from 2005, but progress faltered during the pandemic, with testing halted and the number of new cases rising. Thanks to new treatments, HIV is now a manageable disease.

According to a National AIDS Trust report published in September, up to one in ten people living with an HIV diagnosis do not receive medical care. The latest action plan aims to renew efforts to re-engage people in treatment and strengthen testing to ensure transmissions continue to decline.

“Today, people living with HIV can lead full, healthy lives and cannot pass the virus on to others. This is remarkable progress,” said Health Secretary Wes Streeting. “But we can go further. Ending new HIV transmissions by 2030 is an ambitious project and this government is determined to achieve it.”

The Department of Health and Social Care said it would focus its support on the estimated 5,000 people living with HIV who have fallen out of medical care, for reasons including mental health problems, substance abuse, poverty and fear of judgment. Hospital staff in trusts where the opt-out program is in place will receive anti-stigma training, so patients can access care without fear of being judged because of their HIV status.

A £5 million trial has also been announced which will allow people to order HIV tests at home via the NHS app. The new digital service aims to provide a discreet way for people concerned about their sexual health to get a test without visiting a clinic.

The plan will also fund formula milk for all babies born to mothers living with HIV, who need it as part of HIV prevention measures.

Professor Susan Hopkins, chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency, said the latest figures showed progress towards the 2030 target, with around 95% of people living with HIV now knowing they have the virus. “But around 4,700 people remain undiagnosed, including one in three in black African communities and higher rates of late diagnosis in older age groups,” she said. “People need tests that meet them where they are, in a way that feels safe and accessible. »

Hopkins said the government also needed to improve access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a drug that can reduce the risk of contracting HIV sexually by around 99%. PrEP is free on the NHS in sexual health clinics, but research has shown that in practice it can be difficult to access.

“We need to make starting PrEP easier for everyone who wants it, with a particular focus on straight and Black communities who are victims of current disparities,” Hopkins added.

Richard Angell, chief executive of the Terrence Higgins Trust, said funding voluntary HIV testing would be transformative. “The Government has an ambition that is both momentous and historic: for England to become the first country in the world to end new cases of HIV,” he said. “This new plan recognizes the scale of the challenge, with the largest new investment in HIV testing and care in decades. »