Greens back plans to end HIV transmissions by 2030: A prize within our grasp
11 March 2023
Green Party conference today backed plans to end HIV transmissions by 2030. [1]
Green Party Health spokesperson Dr Pallavi Devulapalli said:
“There is a viable plan to end new cases of HIV in this country after 40 years of hard work and struggle.
“What a prize is within our grasp! To win it, we need the NHS and government to commit today to the recommendations of the HIV Commission, established by the Terrence Higgins Trust, National AIDS Trust and others. [2]
“That includes opt-out testing across every single NHS organisation to reduce the numbers of people diagnosed late with HIV. The latest HIV figures show a whopping 46 per cent of all people diagnosed with the virus were diagnosed late, with huge inequalities between different groups. [3]
“We’ve seen local authorities where Greens are in power working with their NHS to commit to the action needed. For instance, Brighton and Hove, where Greens run the council, is the first city in the country to adopt opt-out HIV testing as the norm.
“It means people with the virus will get diagnosed early, receive the treatment they need and cut the transmission rate. But the government is failing to provide the funds and leadership needed to roll this out across the NHS.”
Cllr Daniel Laycock, who has lived with HIV since 2018, and proposed the successful motion, said:
“Sexual Health is a core provision of the NHS. HIV testing should be routinely offered to patients in relevant settings, such as GP surgeries, Pharmacies, A&E departments, and in all sexual health clinics. Free home testing kits for HIV should be made available in all local authorities.
“Greens in government would invest heavily into a proper sexual health service, better healthcare for people living with HIV, and educational programmes in the education system and healthcare settings, and would fight to see an end to stigma around HIV/AIDs and sexually transmitted illnesses.
“Ending HIV transmission by 2030 is within our grasp and we cannot afford to let the opportunity slip away from us.”
Notes
1. The full motion can be read here: http://greencoordinate.co.uk/agenda/motions/ending-new-hiv-transmissions-by-2030-part-2/