African organisations urged to do
more
African community HIV organisations must do more outreach work to increase
uptake of HIV tests, according to the Health Protection Agency (HPA). In 2004,
90 per cent of all heterosexually acquired HIV in Britain was found in people
from sub-Saharan Africa, amounting to 3,136 new cases.The report highlights
the disproportionately large numbers of Africans who remain undiagnosed.They
attribute this partly to the government’s policy of dispersing migrant
populations away from London where they might, otherwise, have better access
to detection and treatment. “Fear of stigma and discrimination continues
to deter African men and women from seeking HIV tests,” the report stated.
Africans with HIV in the UK are diagnosed at a later and more advanced stage
of the illness than either white or Caribbean patients.The Department of Health
said it was collaborating with National Aids Trust, the African HIV Policy
Network and other groups to “ensure that those involved with the prevention,
detection and treatment of HIV receive support and guidance appropriate and
relevant to the needs of African communities.” But the HPA concluded:
“It is disappointing that no financial commitments were made and local
health authorities and government are not obliged to adopt the guidelines.”
Meanwhile, the Journal of AIDS, reports that non-B subtypes of HIV are now
being transmitted in the UK, largely because of migration from areas with
a high prevalence of HIV (for full story, see Treatment News, page 38).
London’s
firemen support World Aids Day
Over 5 million people logged onto the World Aids Day website in the five weeks
around 1 December.
The National Aids Trust campaign encouraged people to get the facts about
HIV and wear the red ribbon.
Fireman at all 111 fire stations in London backed the campaign by wearing
red ribbons on the day.
Pictured with NAT chief executive Deborah Jack
(centre) are London Fire Authority vice chair Brain Coleman (left), commissioner
Ken Knight (right) and two lovely firemen from Lambeth fire station.
• www.nat.org.uk
NHS ‘bad blood’ scandal files destroyed
Almost all the files relating to the infection of thousands of haemophilia
patients with HIV-infected blood products have been accidentally destroyed,
the government has admitted.
The admission came during a debate in the House of Lords in January as ministers
yet again ruled out a public inquiry into the cases. Lord Warner, Minister
of State at the Department of Health, said the destruction of the documents
was “a regrettable accident”.
A Scottish member of the Haemophilia Society, who has both hep C and HIV,
accused the government of a “disgraceful cover up”, a claim denied
by government sources.
Despite the deaths of 1,142 haemophilia patients, government ministers have
repeatedly said they do not consider that a public inquiry is justified. Ex
gratia payments to relieve the sufferings of dependents of haemophiliacs infected
with hepatitis C who died after 5 July 2004 may, however, be made.
Following questioning by the Scottish parliament’s health committee,
health minister Andy Kerr revealed there had been no attempt to trace all
patients receiving blood products during the period in the 1980s and 1990s
when hundreds of patients in Scotland received blood products contaminated
with hepatitis C and HIV.
Although unconvinced of the need for a public enquiry, Kerr gave an assurance
that he would investigate the possibility of mounting such a trace now.
Charities expose sexual health failures
A
new survey has exposed a lack of plans to improve sexual health in England,
despite a recent
government cash injection. The survey, by a group of charities, including
National Aids Trust and the Terrence Higgins Trust, up to half of primary
care trusts failed to mention plans to speed up access to sexual health services,
despite access being a key government target.
More than half of local delivery plans for 2005-2008 failed to mention HIV,
the fastest growing serious health condition in the UK. Almost 50 per cent
failed to mention planned work on reducing gonorrhoea diagnoses, another government
health target. A third made no mention of plans to achieve the 48-hour access
target for GUM services, even though one in three people remain sexually active
while waiting for an appointment.
As many as 40 per cent failed to mention tackling sexually transmitted infection
in general and the same number made no mention of contraception services.
British Medical Association chair Dr James Johnson said: “At a time
when many areas of the health service are showing signs of improvement, it
is appalling sexual health services are actually getting worse, despite clinicians’
best efforts to deal with patient demand.”
Anne Weyman, chief executive of the Family Planning Association, said: “Sexual
health remains too far down the list of local health priorities and is overshadowed
by the pressure on PCTs to achieve financial balance.”
Her conclusions were highlighted by the NHS deficit, forecasted for 2005-6
at £620 million. Commenting on the deficit, health secretary Patricia
Hewitt said inefficiency and poor financial management were “unacceptable”.
Heterosexual HIV rates stabilise
Latest figures from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) show a continued rise
in the number of HIV infections last year. Although 5,560 new cases were officially
recorded in 2005, the figure is expected to rise to over 7,750. So far, men
who have sex with men account for 31 per cent of recorded diagnoses. In 2004,
they accounted for only 28 per cent. The report suggests the rise is partly
due to the increase in testing as well as the onward transmission of HIV.
By comparison, the number of diagnoses among heterosexual men and women is
expected to remain high but stable, with most cases being acquired outside
the UK.
Commenting on the figures, public health minister Caroline Flint said: “We
are continuing our efforts to encourage more HIV testing by offering tests
to all first-time attenders at GUM clinics, testing all pregnant women and
piloting HIV testing in community-based settings.” She said they had
committed £300 million to modernise sexual health services, making it
one of the seven key national priorities for the NHS. Deborah Jack, of National
Aids Trust, said not enough cash was going to prevention programmes targeting
vulnerable communities and people with HIV. “We urge the government
to ensure that money earmarked for sexual health is spent on preventing more
people from becoming infected.” Professor Pete Borriello, HPA director
of infections, said: “The earlier people are diagnosed, the more effectively
their health can be monitored and antiretroviral treatment can be started.”
Meanwhile, an editorial in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections concluded
that failure to fund improved access to sexual health services in the UK could
“cost the public purse in the long run”.
Staff at one GUM clinic in Leeds found only 28 per cent of people could be
offered an appointment, bringing into question the targets that everyone will
be seen at sexual health clinics within 48 hours by 2008.
news on the side
UK asylum benefit challenge fails
Charities working with asylum seekers report that 35 families have gone into
hiding to avoid having their children taken into care. This follows a High
Court ruling by Mr Justice Bean that failed asylum seekers cannot use the
Human Rights Act or the Children Act to protect benefits. Meanwhile, the campaign
group Barbed Wire Britain reports that an eighth asylum seeker has committed
suicide in a detention centre.
Convicted HIV man dies
Paulo Matias, 38, jailed last year for three years for knowingly infecting
his lover with HIV, has died. The daughter of Matias’ 57-year-old former
lover said: “The family has been through hell. We have mixed feelings.”
The Home Office told PN that Matias was released early from Leicester Prison
so he could die of ‘natural causes’ at a local hospice.
Clinic closure admission
Following claims of staff shortages, Medway council proposed to close a local
HIV/sexual health clinic. Challenged by OutRage! Kent, the council accepted
there was no such shortage and blamed the closure on the NHS. In the same
week, the British Medical Association has slammed local authorities for diverting
funds intended for HIV/sexual health services.
Italian waiter to be sent back to Scotland
Accused of recklessly infecting his girlfriend with HIV, an Italian waiter,
Giovanni Mola, 36, is to be extradited to Scotland. He will then face charges
of culpable and reckless conduct and endangering the health and life of Miss
X. Mola is already serving a jail term in Italy for burglary.
Mortimer Market GUM services in crisis
Same-day HIV testing has been suspended and clinic opening hours reduced at
London’s Mortimer Market clinic in an attempt to save money. The clinic
is believed to be £2 million overspent this financial year.
A clinic doctor told PN’s source: “We’ve run out of money.”
Mortimer Market HIV consultant Dr Simon Edwards admitted that funding for
sexual health services was “very tight” but that the clinic was
not reducing the quality of its service. “We haven’t scrimped
on HIV patients at all.” Mortimer, and its sister clinic at Archway,
have 2,400 HIV positive patients and had over 80,000 attendees at their GUM
clinics last year.
Under 16s: sexual health advice stays confidential
The High Court has upheld the right to confidentiality for under 16s who visit
a health service. “Compulsory parental notification of their visit would
have been a disaster,” said Anne Weyman of the Family Planning Association,
“leading to young people staying away from services and risking unplanned
pregnancies or sexually transmitted infections.”
Heaven ‘bars’ HIV drugs
London gay nightclub Heaven last month barred entrance to an HIV positive
man carrying his antiretroviral medication. Ricardo Benning told PN that he
had his HIV drugs confiscated by bouncers at the door. When he complained,
Benning was told by manager Paul Churchill that it was club policy, citing
a 1934 law.
Heaven refused entrance to one of UKC’s special projects managers at
its 10th anniversary party in 2003 because she had her HIV medications on
her, but was subsequently sent a bunch of flowers by way of apology.
One in nine has HIV in South Africa
Around five million, or one in every nine, South Africans are now believed
to have HIV, according to the latest figures released by the Human Sciences
Research Council.
Researchers discovered widespread misunderstanding of the condition, with
many,
particularly teenagers and those over 50, uncertain or denying any connection
between the virus and illness.
BBC falls foul of Bush
Following the refusal of the BBC World Service to sign up to the Bush ‘morality’
agenda and explicitly oppose prostitution, a $4 million contract with the
US Agency for International Development has been revoked. The BBC World Service
had intended to produce radio dramas and phone-ins to help prevent the spread
of HIV.
Prevention works best with positive people
A US study strongly suggests that HIV positive people respond well to safe
sex
campaigns. Unsafe sex could be reduced by up to 43 per cent among positive
people, the research found, but by only 23 per cent in negative people. The
most effective interventions involved teaching people how to negotiate condom
use and safer sex.
Black women in US at greatest risk
In the deep south of the US, non-white women make up 13 per cent of the population.
However, they make up 70 per cent of HIV infections. For black women aged
24-35, HIV is the number one cause of death and is largely the result of heterosexual
contact.
