Government pledge England to be first nation to eliminate HIV by 2030

Government pledges England will become the first nation in the world to eliminate HIV by 2030 by improving detection, prevention and treatment

• Health Secretary Matt Hancock wants to reach zero HIV transmissions by 2030
• Progress has been made as diagnoses already down 28 per cent in two years
• Medical improvements mean those infected have much longer life expectancy

A pledge to make England the first country in the world to eliminate HIV will be made by the Health Secretary today.

Matt Hancock is committing to reach zero HIV transmissions by 2030 by improving prevention, detection and treatment.

‘My generation grew up knowing Aids was a potential death sentence. That doesn’t have to be the case any more,’ he will tell the AIDSfree Cities Global Forum in London.

Matt Hancock is committing to reach zero HIV transmissions by 2030 by improving prevention, detection and treatment. Stock image

The UK is already making significant progress on HIV, with new diagnoses down 28 per cent in two years. 

Medical improvements mean those infected with HIV have much longer life expectancy, and better treatments mean it is less likely to be passed on. 

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Infections among gay and bisexual men have more than halved from a peak of 2,700 in 2012 to 1,200 in 2017.

In black Africans there has been a 78 per cent fall from 2,424 in 2008 to 542 in 2017, and by 77 per cent in black Caribbeans, from 231 to 52. 

Medical improvements mean those infected with HIV have much longer life expectancy, and better treatments mean it is less likely to be passed on. Stock image

Mr Hancock will say: ‘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.

‘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.’ 

Mr Hancock said he would set up an expert group to develop an action plan on HIV by the end of the year.

Prevention will be at the heart of the plan and £600,000 in new funding is to be given to 13 projects targeting vulnerable groups.

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