Florence Eshalomi

The Government is committed to ensuring equality and equity of access to HIV prevention and treatment for all. We recognise that testing is the best way to determine your HIV status, and to ensure people can take appropriate measures to protect themselves and others from transmitting or acquiring HIV.

We are making excellent progress with the blood borne virus opt-out testing programme in the highest HIV prevalence areas, helping us reach those who do not typically engage with sexual health services. In its first 28 months, the programme has identified 1,360 undiagnosed or untreated HIV cases, and over 5,000 cases of untreated or undiagnosed hepatitis B and hepatitis C.

The Department has commissioned officials for advice on how to progress the development of a new HIV Action Plan, including content and scope, which we aim to publish by summer 2025.

The Government is committed to ensuring equality and equity of access to HIV prevention and treatment for all. We have commissioned officials for advice on how to progress the development of a new HIV Action Plan, which we aim to publish by summer 2025. This will include seeking advice from our community and voluntary sector partners on how best to engage and consider the specific needs of under-served and at-risk communities.

HIV Prevention England (HPE) is the national HIV prevention programme for England. It delivers a nationally co-ordinated programme of HIV prevention work for communities at higher risk of transmission such as black African heterosexual communities and gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. HPE is funded by the Department, who have appointed the Terrence Higgins Trust, a national charity who campaign about, and provide services related to, sexual heath and HIV, to deliver the programme from 2021 to 2025.

The programme has recently hosted their 6th biannual conference, which brought together over 200 representatives from the HIV sector to share ideas, best practice, and research, drawing attention to the need to prioritise impactful and equitable interventions, considering the specific needs of those at greater risk. The presentations, workshops and materials will be made available online at HPE’s website next week.

HIV is a key priority for the Government, and we have commissioned officials for advice on how to progress the development of a new HIV Action Plan to end new HIV transmissions within England by 2030, with a strong focus on tackling inequalities, HIV care access and outcomes, and preventive HIV care, which we aim to publish by summer 2025.

We will continue working with local government and other partners, together with the UK Health Security Agency and NSH England, to support local planning, commissioning, and delivery of high quality and effective public services over the long term.

HIV is a key priority for the Government, and we have commissioned officials for advice on how to progress the development of a new HIV Action Plan to end new HIV transmissions within England by 2030, with a strong focus on tackling inequalities, HIV care access and outcomes, and preventive HIV care, which we aim to publish by summer 2025.

We will continue working with local government and other partners, together with the UK Health Security Agency and NSH England, to support local planning, commissioning, and delivery of high quality and effective public services over the long term.

HIV is a key priority for the Government, and we have commissioned officials for advice on how to progress the development of a new HIV Action Plan to end new HIV transmissions within England by 2030, with a strong focus on tackling inequalities, HIV care access and outcomes, and preventive HIV care, which we aim to publish by summer 2025.

We will continue working with local government and other partners, together with the UK Health Security Agency and NSH England, to support local planning, commissioning, and delivery of high quality and effective public services over the long term.

During his visit to DRC in August, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Africa), Lord Collins, announced £3.1 million UK funding to UNICEF for cholera and mpox response in DRC. It will reach 4.4 million people in affected communities and will boost the DRC's national response for mpox by bolstering surveillance, and ensuring thousands of patients can access healthcare as well as nutritious food to fight infection. The UK is also providing £340 million core voluntary contribution to WHO over 2020-2024, as well as £3 million to WHO's regional office to Africa for health emergency response.