World Aids Day aims to spread awareness and mourn those who have lost their lives due to the disease.
Manchester will be one of the first cities to see a new scheme released by the government. The HIV Action Plan is backed by £170 million and aims to tackle stigma and end transmissions in England by 2030.
With the right treatment and care, HIV is now entirely manageable, however there are many people who are not accessing the lifesaving treatment, the new scheme is targeting these people to bring them back into care. The action plan also plans to reduce shame around the disease as worries over judgement and discrimination mean some people do not get tested and therefore leave infections undiagnosed and untreated.
With The Action Plan allowing patients to discreetly order at-home tests online, the Government is hoping to encourage people to get tested if they have concerns. It comes after a new UKHSA (UK Health Secretary Agency) analysis shows that around 4,700 people remain undiagnosed, despite 95% of people having been diagnosed.
Minister Ashley Dalton met with people living with HIV and had discussions with organisations in the HIV sector about their experiences and how they could be positively impacted by the HIV Action Plan. Jack Liepa, who works for the George House Trust, said:
He went on to tell me about how they are hopeful about the scheme and are happy to hear about the Action Plan.
Sir Keir Starmer said: “My message is simple – no one should ever have to fight HIV alone […] I promise to end HIV transmissions in England by 2030 and we are making this a reality thanks to our action plan, with a groundbreaking new HIV prevention programme, at home tests made available through the NHS App, and delivering opt out testing in emergency departments.”