Ministers failing HIV ‘in
own backyard’
Activists have accused the UK government of failing to respond adequately
to HIV in their own backyard, despite having a good track record abroad.
In a damning report, National Aids Trust (NAT) accused the government of losing
its political focus on, and commitment to fighting HIV at home.
It points out that neither PM Tony Blair nor any other cabinet minister has
made a high-level speech about the UK epidemic in two years and there has
been a lack of investment in effective HIV prevention campaigns.
It also accused the government of diverting resources away from HIV prevention
to plug NHS deficits and ignoring HIV in the recent Public Health White Paper,
despite diagnoses being at the highest rate ever (7,750 in 2005).
Ministers were pursuing policies and practises which ignored the human rights
of the most
vulnerable to HIV infection, such as prisoners and migrants from high-prevalence
countries.
“The UK government is failing to accord HIV in the UK the necessary
priority. At present its response lacks any real political engagement,”
said Deborah Jack, NAT chief executive.
“It needs to mirror its impressive international statements in
its policies back at home. We need to promote the health needs
and human rights of the most vulnerable in the face of populist prejudice.”
But in a statement to PN, the Department of Health denied any lack of commitment.
It said they were offering HIV tests to all first-time attendees at GUM clinics,
testing all pregnant women and piloting HIV testing in the community.
The department also highlighted the extra £300 million for modernising
sexual health services and making sexual health a key national NHS priority
by bringing in targets to ensure everyone can get a GUM clinic appointment
within 48 hours by 2008.
The department also pointed to its work with Terrence Higgins Trust promoting
safer sex messages and HIV testing among gay men and funding the African HIV
Policy Network.
“This demonstrates the collaborative approach this government is taking,
both here and in developing countries, to the issues of sexual health and
HIV, and the importance the government attaches to this vital area of public
health,” the department added. 
New diagnoses of HIV in the UK, 2000 – 2005 From HIV in the UK, a Progress
Report, 2006, National Aids Trust
HIV sector on alert after second arson attack
An arson attack on an east London HIV charity has put the HIV sector
on alert for similar hate attacks. Positive East’s Ilford offices were
left unusable for the foreseeable future after the attack on 8 June.
Fortunately no one was hurt in the fire, but police officers are treating
the incident as a hate crime. No arrests had been made as PN went to press.
Staff at the Ilford office have temporarily relocated to Positive East’s
Stepney Centre and the charity has said the arson attack will not stop its
work.
“Positive East is about people and services and whoever set fire to
our building and whatever their motivation, they most certainly will not have
stopped our services, merely disrupted them for a few days,” said Mark
Santos, director of the charity.
The attack follows an earlier arson attack this year on the building housing
the HIV support group at London’s Winkfield Resource Centre in Haringey.
HIV centres in the capital have beefed up security since the arson attacks
and everyone in the
sector is now on their guard against future hate crimes.
Meanwhile, Positive East has advised users that its services are still available
for people with HIV in east London and ask they call 020 8478 7619 if they
wish to make an appointment.
To make a donation to re-establish the service at Ilford, call 020 8522 6118.
www.positiveeast.org.uk
All
smiles at Body & Soul launch
Family HIV charity Body & Soul launched its latest anti-stigma awareness
campaign last month by urging people to send uplifting texts messages.
Neil Gerrard MP, chair of the All-party Parliamentary Group on Aids (far left)
joined MP Harriet Harman QC (fourth right), Body & Soul outreach worker
Anne-Marie Byrne (third right) and others at the House of Commons launch.
“We want to break down the hostility, fear and ignorance that shroud
HIV with a simple message that through a gesture of a smile, concepts of respect,
care and love can be easily communicated,” the charity said.
To support the ‘A Smile is a Gift’ campaign text ‘smile’
to 81156. The text will cost £1.50 with 93p going to Body & Soul.
www.bodyandsoulcharity.org
South east London is HIV centre
South east London is more affected by the HIV epidemic than any other part
of the UK, according to a new Health Protection Agency (HPA) report.
In 2004, 5,400 local residents were known to be living with HIV, an increase
of 11 per cent on 2003.
The local HIV prevalence rate is now ten times that of England and Wales as
a whole.
HPA statistics show that almost 20,000 Londoners are living with HIV out of
almost 40,000 across England and Wales. A further 20,000 are believed to be
undiagnosed.
The HPA point to a much higher prevalence of HIV among pregnant women in south
east London compared with the rest of the UK, along with rising heterosexual
transmission rates. Sex between men accounts for most HIV cases in the area.
The report calls for more HIV testing, prevention projects aimed at the black
African and Caribbean communities, continued efforts to promote safer sex
behaviour among men who have sex with men, as well as modernisation and improvements
to local sexual health services.
RIP Ian Kramer 1956 – 2006
One of Britain’s leading HIV activists died at the end of May from colorectal
cancer. Ian was diagnosed with HIV in 1984 and for 20 years fought for treatment
access and the rights of people living with HIV.
During some of that time he was vice chair of the UK Coalition of People with
HIV and Aids (UKC) where his intellect, dedication and humour proved an inspiration
to others.
UKC chair Bernard Forbes said Ian was a champion of HIV patient services within
the NHS and dealt with people with “dignity and respect”.
“Ian’s death is a great loss but his legacy lives on and will
continue to affect us all for the better,” Forbes added.
Big rise in HIV among drug users
New HIV infections acquired through sharing needles while injecting drugs
are at their highest rate since 1992. The increase has prompted experts to
call for supervised venues, so-called ‘shooting galleries’, where
drug users can inject in safe, hygienic conditions.
The call came from the Independent Working Group for the establishment of
Drug Consumption Rooms and National Aids Trust (NAT).
Until recently, new diagnoses of HIV in injecting drug users were stabilising
at around 100 a year.
But last year an estimated 182 UK drug users became infected with HIV, up
from 131 in 2004.
Now one in 62 injecting drug users are HIV positive. Outside London, there
has been a six-fold increase in the last three years, from one in 500 in 2002
(0.2 per cent) to one in 83 last year (1.2 per cent).
Yusef Azad, NAT’s director of policy and campaigns, said there were
now more than 2,000 people living with HIV in the UK infected through injecting
drug use, but a third of these are undiagnosed.
UK HIV rates are much lower among drug users than in mainland Europe; the
numbers of people living with HIV in France, Italy and Spain is two or three
times higher.
“Drug consumption rooms are exactly the sort of evidence-based harm
reduction response we need to address the significant recent rise in HIV and
hepatitis C amongst injecting drug users in the UK,” said Deborah Jack,
NAT chief executive.
news on the side
Men ‘don’t like condoms’
A study from an inner London GUM clinic has shown only three-quarters of heterosexual
men with HIV used a condom the last time they had vaginal sex. According to
the May edition of the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections, the study
found the main reason for not using condoms wasn’t drug use or alcohol,
but a simple dislike of using them by one or both sexual partners.
GMFA to work with deaf
Gay men’s health charity Gay Men Fighting Aids (GMFA) has won funding
to provide signers for deaf gay men attending its courses. Provided by Grants
for All, part of the National Lottery fund, the grant means deaf men now be
able to attend courses that cover subjects such as assertiveness and self-defence.
www.gmfa.org.uk
Battling to save services
Despite a vigorous campaign by HIV groups in the
area, Southampton University Hospital NHS Trust is determined to axe its post
of HIV counsellor. Although 200 HIV positive people are registered at the
clinic, the cut will save just £28,000 per year, against a total Trust
deficit of £12.9 million. Activists at the local Ribbons Centre are
battling on to save HIV services in
the area. www.ribbons-centre.co.uk
Every little helps...
Anyone wanting to buy a new TV for the World Cup final on Sunday 9 July or
just do their weekly shop, should visit www.positivenation.co.uk and look
for the Tesco advert. Shop with tesco.com and the UKC gets a small commission
on everything you buy.
BP Dorset wins award
Body Positive Dorset has been awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary
Service. It’s in recognition of the time
devoted to helping others in the community and improving quality of life and
opportunity, as well as providing an outstanding service.www.bodypositivedorset.org
UKC wins new contract…
The UK Coalition of People Living with HIV and Aids (UKC) has been awarded
£20,000 over two years by Tower Hamlets social services in east London.
The UKC will provide a service user involvement project to encourage people
living with HIV to become more involved in the creation and monitoring of
their services.
UKC chief executive Stephen Bitti said: “UKC are currently establishing
a core group of service users to develop this project.”
For more information on how to get involved, email mcrookes@ukcoalition.org.
…and advisory service
The UKC has been commissioned by the South London HIV Partner ship to deliver
a specialist advice service which was formerly contracted to Terrence Higgins
Trust.
UKC will offer an information, advice, and casework service for people living
with HIV and Aids who live in, or attend clinics in south London.
Service users will be able to gain information on immigration, housing, and
welfare benefits issues from a team of advisers at three centres: UKC, 250
Kennington Lane, London SE11 5RD (Tue, 4-7pm, Wed, 1-4pm); Positive Place,
52 Deptford Broadway, London SE8 4PH (Mon, 10-5pm), and Welcare, Trinity Road,
Wandsworth, London SW17 (Thu, 10-5pm). Sessions are appointment- only. Book
on 0800 183 0303.
Free meds for Kenya
Kenya’s president, Mwai Kibaki, has said the 100 shilling (54p) fee
per dose of antiretroviral is to be removed. It’s believed the fee has
been the reason why only 60,000 of the 200,000 eligible Kenyans are receiving
meds. However, treatment support costs, such as lab tests for CD4 counts and
viral load, are still prohibitively expensive for most poor people living
with HIV.
World businesses urged to do more
Four leading companies have pledged to do more in the fight against Aids in
Africa. The move is designed to
spur other big corporations into action.
Former US ambassador, Richard Holbrooke, said more businesses needed to get
involved, with Japanese firms notable by their absence. Contributions from
big corporations to the Global Fund to Fight Aids, TB and Malaria are incredibly
low, accounting for as little as five per cent of money pledged.
Soccer star joins UNAIDS
Ex-Bayern Munich soccer star, Michael Ballack, captain of the German national
team at the World Cup, has become a special representative of UNAIDS. He will
focus on HIV/Aids prevention and support for young people.
“Aids is everybody’s business,” said Ballack. “Sport,
especially football, can help break social barriers and fight stigma and HIV.”
‘Double HIV vaccine spend’
If we are to stand any chance of halting the HIV pandemic, spending on Aids
vaccine research should be doubled, that’s according to National Aids
Trust.
Current global spending and commitment to develop a safe, effective and widely-available
Aids vaccine is insufficient, say campaigners from the HIV organisation.
