The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, has issued a joint statement with figures from across government, healthcare and the third sector redoubling a shared commitment to ending new cases of HIV in England by the start of the next decade.
In the joint press release, Sir Keir says:
With this government, you will not be alone in the fight against HIV. We will stand together – for as long as it takes – both in memory of those we have lost, and in support those who are living with HIV today.
I’m determined that this generation will be the one that ends new cases of HIV within England by 2030.
The PM spoke at a reception to mark World AIDS Day on December 1st. The Terrence Higgins Trust, National AIDS Trust and the Elton John AIDS Foundation were present among others at an event that also marked new investment by the government in HIV elimination.
The new support includes confirmation of £27 million for the highly successful emergency department opt-out testing scheme. A further £37 million will go to towards increasing access to vital sexual and reproductive health services and support for vulnerable and marginalised people across the globe.
Richard Angell OBE, Chief Executive of Terrence Higgins Trust said:
This significant investment is a brilliant first step from a government with a manifesto commitment to end new HIV cases by 2030. The programme extension will fund millions more HIV tests in England next year. Eighty-one A&Es taking an opt-out approach to HIV testing will save lives, tackle inequalities and save money.
‘This is a promising sign that the government is serious when it says the new HIV Action Plan for England will get us on track to end new HIV cases by 2030. Britain might be in pole position to be first country to end the HIV epidemic but countries like France, the Netherlands and Australia are hot on our heels. We must meet our ambition with yet more action, including more funding for over-stretched sexual health services – this announcement today is a sign the government gets that.
Saving Lives’ home city of Birmingham is one of the beneficiaries of the extension of the opt-out testing scheme, which has been in place in London since 2022, and which in its first year of operation saw 391 people newly diagnosed with HIV. Opt-out testing launched in the second city in September of 2023.
Saving Lives has built a region-wide peer support network, in partnership with Birmingham Positive Peers, to help provide crucial third-sector assistance to anyone diagnosed with HIV across the city and surrounding areas.
This sort of third-sector involvement in the cross-system push to eliminate new HIV diagnoses and improve the lives of all those living with the virus was front and centre at the Number 10 event today, at which the PM praised all the work charities across the country do in this area.
Recognition of this work – and the commitment to redouble it – is hugely welcome ahead of December 1st. It’s an exciting, productive time for all of us working towards these shared goals.
A full press release about today’s event is available via the Terrence Higgins Trust here.
