We have a once in a generation opportunity to end the five-decade long struggle against HIV. But we’ll only get there if the Government publishes an ambitious new HIV Action Plan.
Four years ago, the HIV Commission, established by our three organisations, launched its final report to set out a plan for England to achieve the goal of becoming the first country in the world to end new cases of HIV. Within hours the UK Government endorsed many of the recommendations, and 12 months later the first HIV Action Plan (2022-2025) was published.
In the following years, much progress has been made, with high-profile programmes including the roll out of opt-out HIV testing in 51 A&E departments, initially in four cities with the very highest HIV prevalence, now in all areas with a high prevalence and their 81 A&Es.
However, while many people experience good health outcomes and high quality of care, we are seriously concerned that some people and communities are being left behind, with poorer health outcomes and higher unmet need. The growing inequalities across testing, prevention, and treatment for women and marginalised communities are unacceptable, and we need the new Action Plan to prioritise and respond to what the data and experience of people living with HIV is telling us. Not only is this a moral issue, but one that will jeopardise the potential realisation of our 2030 goal if the right steps are not taken.
The new Government needs a new HIV Action Plan
Labour’s manifesto committed to a new HIV Action Plan. The party had already committed to commissioning that plan within the first 100 days of government and publishing it within a year. The Action Plan the Government needs to deliver will be at its strongest where it’s based on expert insight from a broad range of stakeholders - the voluntary sector, doctors, public health professionals and, crucially, people living with HIV.
That’s why our three organisations are coming together again to facilitate discussions, provoke ideas, and bring people together with the aim of coordinating a unified and clear message by the end of the year about what the new Action Plan must deliver.
Through a series of events, both in person and online, and with an open call for views, we will be hearing from people living with HIV, clinicians, public health experts, HIV charities, and all others who want to contribute.
Our key questions are simple - to reach the 2030 goal of ending new transmissions of HIV
- What has worked so far, can’t be lost, and needs to continue in the new Action Plan?
- How can the Action Plan address the inequalities and unmet needs experienced in HIV prevention and by people living with HIV?
- What new initiatives and interventions must the Action Plan deliver?
How we will work together
We know that speaking with and listening to a wide group of people means that we’ll hear different views, competing priorities, and passionate opinions on what needs to happen next. We encourage all of it. No single person or organisation has ‘the right answer’ and widening the conversation makes the 2030 goal more possible.
We encourage as many people as possible to be part of this work. We will be:
- Hosting a series of in-person and online roundtables with voices from across the sector
- Launching a call for your views
- Drawing on a broad range of existing policy and research work that has been produced in recent years.
Or if you want to host your own discussion we would love to work with you. Please get in touch with [email protected] or [email protected]. Together, let’s make sure the new Action Plan delivers for everyone living with HIV and ends new HIV cases once and for all.
Robbie Currie, CEO, National AIDS Trust
Richard Angell, CEO, Terrence Higgins Trust
Anne Aslett, CEO, Elton John AIDS Foundation
