Plan to end HIV transmissions by 2030 announced

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock has set out a commitment to end transmission of HIV in England by 2030.

Making the announcement at the AIDSfree Cities Global Forum organised by the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF), Evening Standard and The Independent, Hancock said the goal will be achieved through better prevention, detection, and treatment.

Supported by £600,000 in funding from Public Health England’s HIV Prevention Innovation Fund, the funding will go to 13 innovative UK schemes to help reduce the risk of people getting HIV and reduce stigma, while an expert group will also be created to develop an action plan.

HIV testing in sexual health services in England has increased by 15% from 2013 to 2017, according to the Department of Health and Social Care, with new cases of HIV falling by 28 per cent in the last two years.

Hancock said: “HIV and AIDS are challenges that we must rise to. The injustice, the unfairness and the sadness they have brought and bring to this day must be tackled by us all. My generation grew up knowing AIDS was a potential death sentence. That doesn’t have to be the case anymore. Thanks to medical breakthroughs, public health campaigns, breaking down stigma and better education, AIDS is no longer a death sentence here. I feel proud that Britain has made such progress. But when I think about what’s going on elsewhere, I feel anger that our progress is not yet reflected around the world.

“We’re all part of the global solution to this global challenge. What we do locally in London, in Delhi, in Nairobi, in Maputo, in Kiev, in Atlanta, in other cities, has an impact globally. So today we’re setting a new goal: eradicating HIV transmission in England by 2030. No new infections within the next decade. Becoming one of the first countries to reach the UN zero-infections target by 2030. From the ultra-local to the truly global. That’s the approach we must take to eliminate AIDS.”