New hiv cases hit a record high in ireland
Group calls for urgent action as 531 people contract virus
HIV is still seen as dirty, some think it’s self-inflicted but it’s not NOEL DONNELLON
percentage which PREP reduces the risk of contracting HIV
dublin yesterday
THE Government must take urgent action to tackle Ireland’s HIV crisis, campaigners claimed yesterday.
The call comes as it was revealed there were 531 new diagnoses last year, the highest on record – Ireland is currently at almost double the European average.
Noel Donnellon from group ACT UP Dublin said although there was some movement from the Government on the issue, he worries the sense of urgency has waned.
He added: “We are absolutely in a crisis, we are seeing rising numbers of new diagnoses, in direct opposition with what is happening with the rest of Europe.
“And it’s not a coincidence we also have an outdated or non-existent sex education programme compared to other countries too.
“HIV is still seen as dirty, people use it as a finger-wagging exercise, that it’s self-inflicted, when it’s just not the case.
“You would never judge someone who was diagnosed with cancer, as a nation we need to remember the ‘H’ in HIV stands for human, and it’s a human issue, not something to judge people for.”
Campaigners say a lack of urgency from the Government is compounding the problem, which is seeing higher numbers than during the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s and 1990s.
One person is now being diagnosed in Ireland every 17 hours. Preventative medication, known as PREP, taken daily, reduces a person’s risk of contracting HIV by more than 99% and is at least as effective as condoms at stopping people from contracting HIV.
The HSE and HIQA are currently engaged in a process to make it available in Ireland but campaigners say the process has already taken too long and as new diagnosis numbers reach alarming levels urgent action must be taken.
Sex education has also been flagged as a key component of tackling the issue, as myths and stigma around HIV present obstacles in the uptake of testing and safe sex.
The Oireachtas Education Committee last month called on the Government to reform the sex education programme, which has not been changed in two decades.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said reducing the number of new HIV diagnoses in Ireland remains a priority.
She added: “The department welcomes the significant progress that has been made over the past number of years but acknowledges more must be done to reduce the number of people diagnosed.
“HIQA have been asked to to carry out a Health Technology Assessment of introducing a PREP programme in Ireland.
“Considerable work has already been completed by the HSE to prepare for the introduction of a programme that meets appropriate standards.”